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THE    LOVE  OF  JESUS 


THE    LOVE    OP    JESUS. 


TREATISE 


BAPTISM,  CONFIRMATION 

AND  THE 

LORD'S    SUPPER. 

FROM   THE    GERMAN    OF 
F.  E.  MISCA. 

TRANSLATED    BY 

REV.    A.  W.    M'CLURE, 

Fastor  of  the  Trinitarian  Congregational  Church  in  Maiden,  Ms. 


ANDOVER: 

r  KIN  TED    FOR   THE    AUTHOR. 

1836. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1836,  by 

F.    E.    MISCA, 
in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  Massachusetts. 


Abraham    offering   up    Isaac. 


TRANSLATOR'S   PREFACE. 

This  little  book  was  written  by  a  female  who 
has  consecrated  her  soul  and  body,  and  all  the  liv- 
ing that  she  hath,  to  the  cause  of  her  Redeemer. 
It  is  one  of  her  personal  efforts  for  the  spiritual 
good  of  our  German  population,  especially  that 
portion  of  it  which  inhabits  the  mountains  of 
Western  Pennsylvania.  To  their  improvement 
she  has  devoted  years  of  toil,  and  all  her  pecunia- 
ry means.  For  them  she  has  sought  the  benevo- 
lent aid  of  the  Christian  public,  in  weary  pilgrim- 
ages of  solicitation.  And  now  she  appears  to  be 
about  to  see  the  particular  object  of  her  exertions 
accomplished,  in  securing  to  them,  in  the  region  of 
her  residence,  the  preached  Gospel  and  the  estab- 
lishment of  schools. 

In  accordance  with  the  wishes  of  her  friends, 
and  in  hopes  that  its  sale  and  circulation  will  pro- 
mote this  great  business  of  her  life,  as  all  its  pro- 
ceeds will  be  devoted  to  it,  this  translation  of  her 
treatise  is  given  to  the  public.  Special  reasons 
have  constrained  the  Translator  to  make  this  ver- 
sion more  literal  than  he  could  have  wished  ;  but 


4  TRANSLATOR'S    PREFACE. 

still  he  confidently  expects  that  it  will  he  read  with 
some  pleasure,  and  greater  profit.  From  it  may 
be  seen  the  character  of  that  religion  which  the 
Author  desires  to  inculcate  among  the  immigrant 
population, — a  religion  eminently  conservative,  and 
expressly  adapted  by  its  Founder,  to  maintaining 
peaceful  and  well  ordered  communities,  as  well  as 
to  the  redemption  of  sinful  beings.  In  the  course 
of  his  duty,  the  Translator  thinks  he  has  seen  the 
main-spring  of  all  the  self-denials  and  self-sacrifices 
of  its  writer,  in  the  spiritual  and  deep  experience 
of  the  '  love  of  Jesus,'  which  is  developed  and  en- 
forced in  this  treatise. 

It  may  not  be  needless  to  say,  that  Confirmation 
is  a  rite  practised  by  the  Lutheran,  and  many  other 
churches,  and  intended  for  the  completion  of  bap- 
tism. It  is  an  assumption  of  the  obligations  im- 
plied in  the  baptismal  vow,  and  entered  into  by 
the  parents  or  sponsors  in  behalf  of  the  subject  of 
it.  In  the  Lutheran  church  it  is  administered  with 
great  solemnity,  and  only  after  a  certain  course  of 
Christian  instruction,  and  a  public  and  audible  af- 
firmation of  the  great  doctrines  and  duties  of  relig- 
ion. It  is  initiatory  to  Church  communion,  and  is 
equivalent  to  a  profession  of  religion  among  the 
^Presbyterians  and  Congregationalists  of  America. 

A.     IV.     M'CLURE, 

.Maiden,  Mass.  June  2,1836. 


DEDICATION. 

To  the  Hon.  Samuel  T.  Armstrong,  Mayor  of 
the  city  of  Boston,  and  to  her  benevolent  friends 
in  Massachusetts  and  New  York,  this  translation  is 
dedicated  by  the  grateful 

AUTHOR. 


THE    LOVE    OF    JESUS. 

PART   FIRST." 

BAPTISM    AND     CONFIRMATION. 


Ephesians  5-:  25 — 27. 
Even  as  Christ  also  loved  the  church,  and  gave  him- 
self for  it;  that  he  might  sanctify  and  cleanse  it  with 
the  washing  of  water  by  the  word  ;  that  he  might  pre- 
sent it  to  himself  a  glorious  church,  not  having  spot, 
or  wrinkle,  or  any  such  thing ;  but  that  it  should  be 
holy  and  without  blemish. 

Hearken,  my  beloved  !  Jesus  desires  a 
holy,  pure,  unspotted,  unblemished  church. 
Mark  it  well !  —  Why  it  is  that  I  wish  and  be- 
seech you  to  mark  it  well  on  the  day  of  your 
confirmation,  you  may  easily  understand  ;  for 
you  know  that  you  are  entering  a  church  of 
Christians,  you  are  received  as  members  of  a 
Christian  church.  You  ought,  therefore,  first 
of  all,  to  understand  what  a  Christian  church 
should  be. 


10  THE    LOVE    OP    JESUS. 

You  take  your  name  from  Christ.  He,  the 
purest,  the  holiest,  who  did  no  sin,  neither 
was  guile  found  in  his  mouth,  — he  is  the  Lord 
of  the  church.  He  is  the  Head,  under  whom 
the  members  are  all  united  by  one  Spirit  to  one 
body.  He  has  founded  and  established  the 
church.  He  has  dearly  purchased  every  mem- 
ber for  his  own,  by  sufferings  such  as  no  man 
before  or  since  has  endured,  by  humiliation 
unto  death,  even  to  death  on  the  cross.  He 
so  loved  the  church,  that  he  gave  himself  for 
it.  It  is  his  ordinance  and  command,  that  in 
all  the  earth,  men,  without  distinction  of  peo- 
ple, or  other  outward  circumstances,  shall  be 
called  and  invited  to  assemble  and  unite 
themselves  under  him,  the  Lord  and  Head  of 
mankind.  From  him  is  the  doctrine  in  which 
you  are  to  be  instructed,  and  which,  according 
to  his  will,  shall  be  taught  in  all  the  world.  Of 
him  the  gospel  testifies,  which  is  preached  to 
the  church,  and  which,  according  to  his  will, 
shall  be  preached  to  the  nations  of  the  earth. 
That  he  came  into  the  world  to  make  sinners 
happy ;  that  he  died  in  order  to  save  sinners 
from  the  misery,  and  ruin,  and  death  of  sin  ; 


BAPTISM    AND    CONFIRMATION.  11 

that  God  raised  him  from  the  dead,  and  exalt- 
ed him  to  be  Lord  and  King  at  his  right  hand; 
that  he  there  lives  and  reigns,  endowed  with 
all  that  is  needed  to  lift  up  fallen,  sunken  hu- 
manity, to  raise  it  from  its  low  estate,  and 
elevate  it  to  his  own  greatness  and  glory,  till 
all  his  enemies  shall  be  humbled  beneath  his 
feet ;  —  this  is  the  sum  and  substance  of  the 
gospel  which  he  wished  to  have  proclaimed. 
And  because  these  glad  tidings  are  its  summa- 
ry, it  bears  the  name  of  gospel.  '  Repent  ye, 
therefore,  and  be  converted,  that  your  sins 
may  be  blotted  out.'  Believe  on  the  Lord 
Jesus,  '  and  be  baptized  every  one  of  you  in 
the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  for  the  remission  of 
sins.'  This  is  the  sum  and  substance  of  the 
call,  the  invitation  to  the  church  of  Christ. 
You  hear  that  that  proclamation  is  universal, 
that  this  invitation  is  universal.  But  not  all 
who  heard  that  proclamation,  and  understood 
this  invitation,  accepted  the  gospel,  and  follow- 
ed the  call. 

The 'men  who  knew,  and  had  often  and 
painfully  felt  their  blindness  and  perverseness, 
their  impurity  and   debasement  and  exposure 


12  THE    LOVE    OF    JESUS. 

to  punishment,  their  imperfection,  weakness, 
and  need  of  help  ;  or  those  whose  eyes  the 
gospel  had  opened  to  these  things,  who  had 
been  led  to  wish  and  long  for  something  bet- 
ter ;  or  those  in  whom  this  wish,  this  longing 
had  been  just  awakened,  and  was  really  lively 
and  strong,  to  them  this  gospel  was  truly  what 
its  name  imports,  glad  tidings  ;  to  them  it  was 
a  precious,  invaluable  word,  that  Jesus  Christ 
came  into  the  world  to  save  sinners.  Such 
men,  as  you  may  well  suppose,  heard  this  new 
doctrine  gladly  ;  they  willingly  followed  such 
an  invitation  ;  they  embraced  such  a  gospel 
with  joy. 

Now  those  who  received  the  gospel,  came 
and  were  baptized.  By  baptism  they  were 
consecrated  to  Christ,  and  received  into  the 
church  of  Jesus.  Such  was  the  will  and  com- 
mandment of  Jesus.  '  Go  ye,'  said  he  to 
those  who  should  testify  of  him,  '  and  teach 
all  nations,  baptizing  them  in  the  name  of  the 
Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 
Whoever,  therefore,  came  to  be  immersed  in 
the  water,  or  washed  with  it,  it  was  the  same 
as  if  he  had  said  in  express  terms,  '  I  am  un- 


BAPTISM    AND    CONFIRMATION.  13 

clean,  and  wish  to  be  cleansed  from  that  which 
defiles  me.'  And  when  he  was  baptized  in 
the  name  of  Jesus,  it  was  as  if  Jesus  himself 
had  spoken  to  him,  and  assured  him,  l  If  thou 
dost  earnestly  desire  it,  see,  —  thou  art  purified 
and  made  holy  !'  Jesus  had  commanded  that 
men  should  be  baptized  in  the  name  of  the 
Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy 
Ghost.  Let  any  one  be  so  baptized,  and  it  is 
as  if  he  had  expressly  said  in  words,  '  Dear 
Father,  I  would  be  thy  child,  I  would  have 
thee  to  be  my  Father.  Let  me  be  thy  child. 
Be  thou  my  Father.  I  will  follow  and  obey 
thee  as  a  child.  Jesus !  I  acknowledge  and 
believe  that  thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the 
living  God.  As  such  will  I  accept  thee,  as 
such  will  I  follow  thee.  Through  thee  only 
can  I  and  will  I  come  to  the  Father.  Purify 
and  free  me  from  all  that  prevents  my  coming 
to  him.  Take  away  all  that  separates  and  re- 
moves me  from  God.  Grant  me  the  Spirit, 
through  which  I  can  and  ever  shall  be  made 
wise,  and  pure,  and  better,  and  more  stedfast, 
patient,  courageous  and  confiding.     Sanctify 


14  THE   LOVE    OF    JESUS. 

me,  that  I  may  become  one  with  thee,  and 
through  thee  with  the  Father.' 

And  whoever,  then,  was  baptized,  according 
to  the  command  of  Jesus,  in  the  name  of  the 
Father,  Son  and  Spirit,  could  feel  as  if  Jesus 
himself  had  spoken  to  him  and  assured  him, 
'Yes,  if  it  be  truly  thy  mind,  and  wish,  and 
will,  then  is  my  Father  thy  Father  also  ;  then 
art  thou  his  child  and  heir,  and  joint  heir  with 
me  ;  then  there  is  nothing  to  prevent  thy  com- 
munion with  the  Father  ;  then  I  am  thine  ;  for 
thee  was  my  death  ;  for  thee  is  my  life.  My 
Spirit  is  thy  Spirit.  My  glory  shall  be  thy 
glory  also.' 

Baptism,  then,  appears  to  us  as  certainly  a 
very  important  and  significant  action.  It  in- 
dicates and  embraces  what  is  essential  and 
distinguishing  to  Christianity.  Desirable  and 
acceptable,  important  and  great  is  that  which 
is  offered,  indicated,  and  confirmed,  by  him 
in  whose  name  baptism  is  administered.  And 
how  extremely  simple  and  easy  is  the  manner 
and  terms  of  participation  ;  Come  —  desire  to 
have — receive  ;  that  is  all  which  is  to  be  done. 
It  may  well  be  supposed,  that  if  in  the  baptism 


BAPTISM    AND    CONFIRMATION.  15 

of  those  who  by  that  means  entered  the  church 
of  Jesus,  all  was  as  it  should  be,  according  to 
the  mind  and  will  of  Jesus ;  that  if  they  came 
to  baptism  with  such  intentions  and  desires, 
and  received  such  high  assurances  in  so  easy 
and  simple  a  manner,  then  must  their  condi- 
tion be  greatly  changed  and  improved  from 
what  it  was  before.  Then,  indeed,  all  that 
might  be  done  according  to  the  mind  and  will 
of  Jesus,  would  be  done  with  a  better  mind 
and  from  a  purer  heart;  then  would  every 
thing  be  more  purely  and  truly  good,  because 
the  fountain  from  whence  it  springs,  the  heart, 
would  be  refined  and  sanctified  by  love.  Christ 
gave  himself  for  me !  This  remains  before 
the  eyes  of  the  baptized  ;  this  brings  his  bap- 
tism home  to  his  heart.  And  where  the  heart 
is  filled  with  this  thought,  and  the  whole  man 
is  penetrated  by  it,  then,  according  to  the  na- 
ture of  things,  and  the  nature  of  the  heart,  he 
is  made  holy.  Then  he  cleaves  to  Jesus,  and 
takes  part  with  him.  He  feels  himself  to  be 
Christ's  own,  and  consecrated  to  him.  He 
belongs  no  more  to  himself;  he  belongs  to 
Christ,  and  lives  for  him.     And  thus  the  bap- 


16  THE   LOVE    OF    JESUS. 

tized  is  in  spirit  and  in  truth  a  member  of  the 
body  of  which  Jesus  is  the  Head,  a  true  and 
genuine  member  of  his  church. 

Still,  however,  this  is  not  given,  wrought 
and  imparted  by  the  outward  ceremony, — the 
baptism  with  water.  The  outward  act  cannot 
purify  inwardly,  cannot  sanctify  the  heart.  The 
water-baptism  cannot  give  purity  to  the  mind 
and  integrity  to  the  life.  It  was  formerly,  as 
at  present,  only  an  emblem,  a  sign,  a  pledge, 
a  seal.  It  had  then,  no  more  than  at  present, 
any  peculiar  secret  power.  Alas  !  it  was  not 
long  before  many  weie  baptized  who  were  not 
on  that  account  members  of  the  church  of 
Christ ;  just  as  now  many  are  baptized  and 
are  confirmed  in  their  baptismal  covenant,  who 
are  not,  on  that  account,  Christians,  or  mem- 
bers of  the  church  of  Christ.  That  does  not 
depend  on  the  outward  ceremony,  but  only 
and  alone  on  the  mind,  and  will,  and  faith  of 
those  who  submit  themselves  to  this  outward 
rite.  'In  Christ  Jesus  neither  circumcision 
availeth  anything  (which  likewise  was  a  sign 
and  seal  of  grace  and  promise,)  nor  uncircum- 


BAPTISM    AND    CONFIRMATION.  17 

cision  ;'  nor  baptism  either,  without  the  faith 
which  worketh  by  love. 

But  the  fact  that  Jesus  himself  ordained 
such  a  rite,  expressive  of  purification,  for  all 
who  would  declare  themselves  for  him,  and 
cleave  to  him,  tells  us  loudly  and  forcibly 
enough  what  members  ought  to  distinguish  his 
church,  and  what  is  aimed  at  by  these  mem- 
bers of  his  church  on  earth.  Bathing  with 
water  purifies  !  It  reminds  us  of  purification  ; 
the  water  alludes  to  sanctification,  by  which 
we  must  be  born  again  for  his  kingdom ;  and 
that  other  baptism,  which  is  to  follow,  and 
which  is  called  in  the  holy  Scriptures,  c  the 
baptism  of  fire,  and  the  baptism  of  the  Spirit,' 
aims  at  purification  and  leads  to  sanctification. 
We  must  be  born  again,  transformed  and  cre- 
ated anew  by  the  water  and  the  Spirit ;  we 
must  believe  in  the  Holy  Ghost,  in  a  holy, 
universal,  christian  church,  and  in  the  com- 
munion of  saints. 

A  holy  christian  church  1  Holy  is  the  Fa- 
ther who  hath  called  us  to  be  his  children ; 
and  as  he  who  hath  called  us  is  holy,  so  must 
we  be  holy  in  all  manner  of  conversation  ;  be- 
2* 


18  THE    LOVE    OP    JESUS. 

cause  it  is  written  :  Be  ye  holy,  for  I  am  holy. 
And  this  is  the  message  which  we  have  heard 
of  him,  that  God  is  light,  and  in  him  is  no 
darkness  at  all.  If  we  say  that  we  have  fel- 
lowship with  him,  and  walk  in  darkness,  we 
lie,  and  do  not  the  truth.  Such  an  high-priest 
became  us,  who  is  holy,  harmless,  undefiled, 
separate  from  sinners,  and  made  higher  than 
the  heavens.  In  this  high-priest  we  have  an 
advocate  with  the  Father,  Jesus  Christ  the 
righteous  ;  and  he  is  the  propitiation  for  our 
sins ;  and  not  for  ours  only,  but  also  for  the 
sins  of  the  whole  world.  So  he  writes  to  us, 
who  wrote  that  we  might  not  sin  ;  and  he  adds  : 
And  hereby  do  we  know  that  we  know  him,  if 
we  keep  his  commandments.  He  that  saith, 
I  know  him,  and  keepeth  not  his  command- 
ments, is  a  liar,  and  the  truth  is  not  in  him. 
But  whoso  keepeth  his  word,  in  him  verily  is 
the  love  of  God  perfected ;  hereby  know  we 
that  we  are  in  him.  He  that  saith  he  abideth 
in  him,  ought  himself  also  so  to  walk,  even  as 
he  walked.  If  we  walk  in  the  light,  as  he  is 
in   the   light,   we   have   fellowship  one   with 


BAPTISM    AND    CONFIRMATION.  19 

another,  and  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  his  Son 
clean seth  us  from  all  sin. 

The  Holy  Spirit  is  the  Spirit  by  which  we 
come  into  communion  with  him  and  with  the 
Father,  which  binds  the  Head  and  the  mem- 
bers together. 

They  that  are  in  the  flesh  cannot  please 
God.  But  ye  are  not  in  the  flesh,  but  in  the 
Spirit,  if  so  be  that  the  Spirit  of  God  dwell  in 
you.  Now  if  any  man  have  not  the  Spirit  of 
Christ,  he  is  none  of  his.  If  ye  live  after  the 
flesh,  ye  shall  die  :  but  if  ye  through  the  Spi- 
rit do  mortify  the  deeds  of  the  body,  ye  shall 
live.  If  the  Spirit  of  him  that  raised  up  Jesus 
from  the  dead  dwell  in  you,  he  that  raised  up 
Christ  from  the  dead  shall  also  quicken  your 
mortal  bodies  by  his  Spirit  that  dwelleth  in 
you.  As  many  as  are  led  by  the  Spirit  of 
God,  they  are  the  sons  of  God,  and  cry  by 
the  spirit  of  adoption  ;  Abba,  Father  :  The 
same  Spirit  helpeth  our  infirmities,  and  bear- 
eth  witness  with  our  spirit,  that  we  are  the 
children  of  God  :  and  if  children,  then  heirs; 
heirs  of  God,  and  joint-heirs  with  Christ ;  if  so 
be  that  we  suffer  with  him,  that  we  may  also  be 


20  THE    LOVE    OF    JESUS. 

glorified  together.  Hereby  know  we  that  we 
dwell  in  him,  and  he  in  us,  because  he  hath 
given  us  of  his  Spirit.  But  the  fruit  of  the  Spir- 
it is  love,  joy,  peace,  long-suffering,  gentleness? 
goodness,  faith,  meekness,  temperance.  So 
it  is  with  the  communion  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
By  this  Spirit  the  bond  between  men,  and  Je- 
sus, and  God,  is  inseparable  and  forever  knit 
together.  For  this  reason  are  those  who  are 
Christians  in  name  and  deed,  in  spirit  and  ire 
truth,  called  saints.  For  this  reason  is  the 
union  of  Christians  by  this  Spirit  called  a  com- 
munion of  saints. 

Behold,  my  beloved  !  the  washing  in  water 
at  baptism,  and  baptism  in  the  name  of  the 
Father,  Son  and  Holy  Ghost,  all  tell  us,  that 
Christ  so  loved  the  church  that  he  gave  him- 
self for  it,  and  that  he  sanctified  it,  and  that 
this,  his  chosen,  his  beloved,  should  stand  be- 
fore him  in  glorious,  lovely  beauty,  without 
spot  or  blemish,  free  from  all  that  is  hateful 
and  makes  hateful,  disfigures  and  defiles,  holy 
and  blameless ;  united  with  him  in  innocence  and 
pure  love.  Christ  gave  himself  for  us,  that  he 
might  redeem  us  from  all  iniquity,  and  purify 


BAPTISM    AND    CONFIRMATION.  21 

unto  himself  a  peculiar  people,  zealous  of  good 
works.  This  is  what  is  declared  to  our  hearts 
by  baptism.  He  who  has  not  the  solemn  will 
and  purpose  to  become  continually  purer  and 
better  does  not  really  understand  what  that 
means,  '  Christ  loved  the  church,  and  gave 
himself  for  it!'  He  comprehends  it  not,  and 
knows  not  how  to  estimate  how  dearly  Jesus 
has  purchased  his  own  peculiar  people  !  His 
heart  feels  nothing  of  the  love  of  Jesus,  and 
takes  no  interest  in  his  sufferings  and  death  for 
us.  He  shows  that  he  does  not  yet  belong  to 
Christ's  peculiar  people,  to  his  church.  No, 
he  is  not  yet  a  Christian,  though  he  may  have 
been  baptized  unto  Christ  by  the  baptism  of 
Christians. 

He  to  whom  has  appeared  this  saving  grace 
of  God,  which  is  and  shall  be  offered  to  all, 
he  to  whom  it  has  actually  appeared,  who  ac- 
knowledges it  as  saving  grace,  and  as  such 
has  accepted,  embraced,  and  made  it  his  own, 
will  according  to  its  nature,  be  infallibly  chas- 
tened by  it,  and  powerfully  excited  to  deny 
ungodliness  and  worldly  lusts,  and  live  sober- 
ly, righteously,  and  godly  in  this  present  world. 


22  THE    LOVE    OF    JESUS. 

And  when  this  grace  thus  manifests  itself  pow- 
erfully and  actively  in  the  heart  and  life,  when 
it  awakens  and  kindles  that  in  the  heart,  and 
thereto  animates  and  incites  it,  then  the  man 
belongs  to  the  elect,  the  saints,  the  beloved  of 
God  ;  then  is  he  by  Jesus  presented  holy,  and 
unblameable,  and  unreproveable  in  the  sight 
of  God.  Those  whom  he  did  predestinate, 
them  he  also  called;  and  whom  he  called, 
them  he  also  justified  ;  and  whom  he  justified^ 
them  he  also  glorified.  That  man  has  in  the 
Spirit  the  pledge  and  witness  of  the  paternal 
love  of  God  and  the  fraternal  love  of  Jesus. 
And  whoever  he  may  be,  and  wherever  he 
may  live,  and  however  he  may  fare,  he  is  and 
remains  a  member  of  the  body  of  which  Christ 
is  the  Head  :  he  is  a  fellow-member  of  the 
one,  universal,  Christian  church,  which  is  lim- 
ited to  no  seasons,  to  no  peculiar  men,  to  no 
particular  places,  to  no  religious  societies  or 
parties,  to  no  places  of  assembly  or  forms  of 
external  worship  ;  which  is  fettered  to  nothing 
outward,  visible,  earthly,  perishable  and  mu- 
table ;  which  has  its  aim  not  on  earth,  but  in 
heaven;  —  he  has  come  to  the  first-born,, 
which  are  written  in  heaven  ! 


BAPTISM    AND    CONFIRMATION.  23 

Children,  the  first  thing  that  befel  you  in 
your  lives,  relating  to  Jesus  and  the  welfare  of 
your  souls,  was,  that  your  parents  presented 
you  for  that  baptism  wrhich  Jesus  instituted. 
They  desired  to  give  you  up  to  Christ ;  to  him 
who,  while  he  lived  on  earth,  so  loved  chil- 
dren :  to  whom  parents  then  brought  their 
children,  that  he  might  bless  them  ;  and  who 
received  them  with  kindness  and  tenderness, 
took  them  in  his  arms,  pressed  them  to  his 
heart,  and  gave  them  back  to  their  parents 
with  his  blessing  ;  —  to  him  they  were  not  too 
little  and  insignificant  for  the  blessings  of  his 
love.  He  understood  and  appreciated  the 
motive  of  those  who  brought  them.  He  gave 
them  not  a  word  of  censure  or  reproof.  But 
the  adults,  who  felt  not  at  heart  like  those  pa- 
rents, who  saw  not  in  parents  or  children  what 
he  valued  above  all  things  else  :  his  disciples 
who  cherished  thoughts,  and  desires,  and 
hopes,  and  expectations,  which  were  contrary 
to  his  mind  and  heart,  and  who  cared  not  for 
the  childlike  spirit,  and  childlike  mind,  and 
childlike  heart,  —  them  he  suddenly  reproved 
for  their  feelings  and  conduct.     To  them  he 


24  THE    LOVE    OF    JESUS. 

said  :  Suffer  little  children  to  come  unto  me, 
and  forbid  them  not  :  for  of  such  is  the  king- 
dom of  God.  Verily,  I  say  unto  you,  Who- 
soever shall  not  receive  the  kingdom  of  God 
as  a  little  child,  shall  in  no  wise  enter  therein. 
On  one  occasion,  when  his  disciples  manifest- 
ed vain,  earthly  minds,  and  strivings  after  great 
things  of  a  worldly  nature,  he  called  up  one 
of  the  children  who  loved  to  be  about  him  and 
with  him,  to  be  a  lesson  and  example  to  them. 
He  set  the  little  child  in  the  midst  of  them, 
and  said  :  Verily,  I  say  unto  you,  Except  ye 
be  converted,  and  become  as  little  children,  ye 
shall  not  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 
Whosoever,  therefore,  shall  humble  himself  as 
this  little  child,  the  same  is  greatest  in  the 
kingdom  of  heaven.  And  whoso  shall  receive 
one  such  little  child  in  my  name,  receiveth 
me.  But  whoso  shall  offend  one  of  these  lit- 
tle ones  which  believe  in  me,  it  were  better 
for  him  that  a  mill-stone  were  hanged  about 
his  neck,  and  that  he  were  drowned  in  the 
depth  of  the  sea. 

O  listen,  then  !     Let  it  be  deeply  impress- 
ed upon  your  hearts,  how  dear  to  him  were 


BAPTISM    AND    CONFIRMATION.  25 

children;  how  he  received  them  and  would 
have  them  received;  how  he  blessed  them,  and 
how  much  he  is  concerned  when  no  one  brings 
them  to  him  for  his  blessing.  Let  it  be  deep- 
ly impressed  upon  your  hearts,  how  much  a 
child's  disposition,  a  child's  heart,  a  child's 
innocence  is  prized  by  him  ;  how  he  requires 
and  thinks  it  necessary,  that  all  who  would  be 
happy  in  his  kingdom  shall  be  children  in  mod- 
esty and  comeliness,  in  freedom  from  arro- 
gance and  pride  and  self-exaltation,  in  frank- 
ness and  rectitude  and  desire  to  learn,  in  tract- 
ability  and  obedience,  in  silent  attention  to, 
easy  reception  and  right  apprehension  and 
pursuit  of  the  truth,  in  faith  and  dependence 
on  the  word  of  the  Father,  in  compliance  with 
the  will  and  desire  of  the  Father,  in  confi- 
dence and  trust  in  the  love  of  the  Father  and 
the  expression  of  his  love,  in  calm  reliance, 
quite  free  from  vexation,  and  from  painful, 
tormenting  care,  in  inward  attachment,  love 
and  peace.  After  these  declarations  of  Jesus, 
you  may  imagine  to  yourselves  with  what  an 
eye  he  looks  down  upon  parents  and  children, 
when  parents  bring  their  children  to  his  bap- 
3 


26  THE    LOVE    OF    JESUS. 

tisrn  ;  —  with  what  an  eye  he  looked  down  up- 
on you,  when  you  were  so  brought  to  him. 
To  whom  could  your  parents  have  given  you 
up  and  confided  you  better  than  to  him  ?  By 
whom  can  you  be  better  counselled  than  by 
him  ?  For  him  you  must  be  educated  !  — 
was  the  silent  declaration  of  your  parents, 
when  they  brought  you  for  baptism,  that  he 
might  accept  and  bless  you  with  all  his  bless- 
ings ;  that  you  might  through  him  be  children 
of  God,  through  him  be  purified,  hallowed, 
and  blest.  How  naturally  was  this  wish  of 
your  parents  expressed  by  the  presentation  for 
baptism  ! 

At  that  time  you  knew  not  him  to  whom 
you  were  to  belong.  You  could  not  then  un- 
derstand what  wras  ensured  to  you  in  his  name, 
and  what  was  promised  to  him  inv  your  name. 
When  you  grew  up,  and  the  capacities  and 
powers  of  your  soul  had  so  far  developed 
themselves,  that  you  could  learn  and  compre- 
hend something  about  him,  then  your  parents 
remembered  the  engagement  which  they,  (  or 
in  their  place  the  witnesses  of  the  baptism, 
your  sponsers, )  had  made.     You  were  made 


BAPTISM    AND    CONFIHr-rATION.  27 

acquainted  with  Jesus  by  narrative  and  instruc- 
tion from  the  Holy  Scripture.  You  have 
learnt  what  you  may  have  in  Jesus,  and  shall 
have  with  him  and  by  him,  if  you  wish  it  as 
he  and  God  wish  it ;  and  you  have  also  learnt 
what  he  and  God  wish  from  you.  You  have 
made  a  public  confession  before  the  church 
which  you  wished  to  join  of  what  is  most  im- 
portant and  essential  in  Christian  faith,  Chris- 
tian duties,  and  Christian  hopes.  Therein 
you  must  be  solemnly  confirmed,  that  is  to 
say,  established.  What  others  undertook  and 
promised  in  your  name  at  your  baptism,  must 
be  confirmed  and  ratified  by  yourself.  Do 
you,  then,  with  cordial  faith  receive  as  true 
and  certain  what  you  have  learnt  as  God's 
word,  and  confessed  with  your  mouth  ? 

Is  it  also  your  earnest  desire  and  steadfast 
resolve  before  God,  to  strive  with  all  the  pow- 
ers which  God  has  given,  and  will  give  still 
further  to  the  faithful,  in  order  that  you  may 
think  and  act  as  disciples  and  followers  of  Je- 
sus ought  to  think  and  act  ? 

And  will  you,  then,  as  members  of  the 
church  into  which  you  will  be  received  so  con- 


28  TtfE    LOVE    OF    JESUS. 

duct,  according  to  its  regulations  and  ordinan- 
ces, that  you  may  be  found  therein  as  mem- 
bers of  a  church  of  which  Jesus  is  the  Head  ? 

Answer  in  the  presence  of  God,  and  of  the 
Lord  of  the  church  !  The  Lord  is  witness  to 
your  *  Yes  ;'  he  hears  it ;  he  sees  in  every  one 
whose  mouth  utters  it,  the  heart  from  which  it 
came.  He,  before  whom  the  heart  is  taken 
into  account,  and  gives  to  every  external  act 
and  life  its  value,  he  will  also  be  witness  in  ev- 
ery moment  of  your  future  life  whether  you 
keep  your  engagement  to  him.  Ah,  dear  and 
darling  children  !  however  faithful  to  him  your 
hearts  may  intend  to  be,  there  will  many  things 
occur  which  will  render  the  exact  keeping  of 
your  word  very  difficult.  You  will  too  soon 
find,  that  that  *  Yes1  was  easily  said,  but  that 
it  was  a  very  important  and  comprehensive 
'  Yes.'  You  will  find,  alas !  that  not  every 
one  w"hois  called  a  Christian  cleaves  to  Christ ; 
that  not  every  one  who  outwardly  adheres  to 
a  Christian  church  inwardly  depends  upon 
Christ. 

You  will  not  fail,  among  the  men  in  the 
midst  of  whom    you   must  be   scattered,  and 


BAPTISM    AND    CONFIRMATION.  29 

with  whom  you  must  live,  often  to  see  and  hear, 
experience  and  witness,  what  can  and  will  turn 
you  away  from  him  to  whom  you  have  been 
guided,  and  make  you  faithless  and  false  to 
him  to  wThom  you  solemnly  promised  to  be 
obedient  and  to  remain  true.  With  all  your 
forecast  and  watchfulness  you  will  not  succeed 
in  our  day,  at  all  times  and  places,  in  avoiding 
those  who  without  reserve  will  dishonour  what 
your  heart  really  honors,  and  on  which  it  be- 
stows its  highest  veneration  ;  who  will  shame- 
lessly desecrate  what  to  you  is  truly  sacred, 
and  must  remain  so  forevermore ;  who  may 
and  will  rob  you,  by  word,  and  deed,  and  ex- 
ample, of  what  you  ought  to  value  more  than 
your  life,  because  it  is  to  be  your  life  forever 
and  forever.  For  what  is  a  man  profited,  if 
he  shall  gain  the  whole  world,  and  lose  his- 
own  soul  I  or  what  shall  a  man  give  in  ex- 
change for  his  soul  ?  Never,  never  let  it  de- 
part from  your  mind  and  heart,  that  the  Lord 
of  the  church  was  the  witness  of  your  vowy 
and  will  be  witness  of  the  manner  in  which 
you  fulfil  it,  and  of  the  motive  with  which  you 
may  fulfil  it ;  that  he  saw  into  your  heart,  and 
3* 


30  THE    LOVE    OF    JESUS. 

will  see  into  it  at  all  times  and  places,  lest  the 
sanctuary  of  your  heart  and  your  priceless 
pearl  should  be  left  a  prey  to  those  who  will 
trample  it  under  foot,  and  will  poorly  reward 
you  for  leaving  it  to  be  their  prey.  Keep  your 
heart  near  to  the  Lord  through  the  Bible 
which  testifies  of  him,  and  through  the  book 
of  nature  in  which  you  live,  and  of  which  he 
is  also  Lord.  Assemble  often,  away  from  the 
distractions  of  life,  in  tranquil  devotion  under 
his  eye.  Let  it  be  your  aim  to  grow  in  all 
points  like  him  who  is  the  Head,  whenev- 
er you  read  of  him,  and  whenever  you  go 
where  his  worshippers  assemble  for  his  praise. 
He  is  nearer  to  you,  and  you  are  nearer  to  him, 
by  every  festival  which  is  consecrated  to  him, 
by  every  supper  which  is  consecrated  to  the 
remembrance  of  the  highest  proof  of  his  love 
for  you.  Let  the  word  of  Christ  dwell  in  you 
richly  in  all  wisdom  ;  teaching  and  admonish- 
ing one  another  in  psalms,  and  hymns,  and 
spiritual  songs,  singing  with  grace  in  your 
hearts  to  the  Lord  ;  not  forsaking  the  assem- 
bling of  yourselves  together,  as  the  manner  of 
some  is  :  and  above  all  things,  keep  your  eye 


BAPTISM    AND    CONFIRMATION.  31 

and  heart  fixed  upon  him  by  daily  prayer.  O  ! 
if  you  rightly  lay  to  heart  the  *  one  thing  need- 
ful,' if  you  would  be  and  do  what,  according 
to  your  promise,  you  ought  to  be  and  to  do, 
you  will  have  to  commence  daily  prayer,  if 
you  have  not  done  it  already. 

You  will  sometimes  fail ;  even  with  the  best 
intentions,  with  the  most  ardent  strivings  of  the 
soul,  the  flesh  will  be  weak ;  and  every  failure 
will  be  the  more  painful  to  you,  every  advan- 
tage which  the  weak  flesh  gains  over  the 
stronger  spirit  will  be  more  distressing  to  you, 
the  more  sincerely  you  mean  to  be  good ;  but 
courage,  and  faith,  and  hope  will  not  on  that 
account,  be  stolen  from  you.  Pray,  then,  fer- 
vently and  importunately  !  Watch  more  care- 
fully !  Trust  not  too  confidently  to  be  kept 
from  falling  by  your  own  strength !  Resist 
more  resolutely  !  Contend  more  earnestly  ! 
Persevere  in  watching,  and  fighting,  and  pray- 
er i  Hold  firm  in  faith  to  your  Lord!  and 
then  you  will  learn  from  experience,  that  he 
sees  you,  that  he  sees  into  your  heart,  that  he 
understands  every  longing  and  aspiration  of 
your  heart,  that  he  knows  every  want  of  your 
soulj  and  perceives  every  supplication,  that  he 


32  THE    LOVE    OF    JESITS„ 

hears  and  answers,  that  he  is  able  and  willing 
to  help.  Yesr  only  let  yoor  delight  be  in  the 
Lord,  and  he  will  give  you  the  desire  of  your 
heart.  If  our  heart  condemn  us  not,  then  have 
we  confidence  toward  God  ;  and  whatsoever 
we  ask,  we  receive  of  him,  because  we  keep 
his  commandments,  and  do  those  things  that 
are  pleasing  in  his  sight.  Let  it  thereupon 
be  your  consolation  that  you  have  a  good  con- 
science, and  study  to  lead  a  good  life.  Above 
all  things  look  too  it,  that  no  man  seduce  you, 
and  deprive  you  of  this  consolation. 

And  is  this  the  meaning  of  your  4  Yes  ?'  — 
then  hail  to  you  as  new  members  of  Christ's 
church  !  Yes,  then  are  you  members  of  his 
church  in  deed  and  in  truth ;  incorporated  a3 
members  of  that  body  of  which  he  is  the  Head  ; 
and  in  possession  of  all  that,  which  he  offered 
and  ensured  to  you  in  baptism.  Yes,  it  does 
not  yet  appear  what  you;  shall  be  and  shall 
have  ;  still  what  is  to  be  hoped  for  hereafter 
is  as  sure  to  you,  as  if  you  had  already  received 
k.  He  confirms  and  ratifies  to  you  his  prom- 
ise in  baptism,  and  he  will  confirm  and  estab- 
lish you  in  your  faith,  confirm  and  strengthen 
you  to  the  purification  of  your  heart  and  life, 


BAPTISM    AND    CONFIRMATION.  33 

confirm  and  corroborate  your  hope.  Let  us 
hold  fast  the  profession  of  our  faith  without 
wavering ;  for  he  is  faithful  that  promised. 
How  faithful  he  is  to  the  faithful,  what  he  will 
be  and  will  give  to  his  faithful  ones,  is  particu- 
larly testified  and  assured  to  you  by  that  sup- 
per, which  you  will  celebrate  with  the  mem- 
bers of  his  church  in  commemoration  of  his 
death.  It  explains  and  assures  what  it  is  that 
you  wish  to  be  to  him  who  is  your  Lord  ; 
and  in  the  supper  he  too  explains  and  assures 
what  it  is  that  he  will  be  to  you.  You  wish  to 
give  yourself  up  entirely  to  him,  and  he  wishes 
to  give  himself  up  entirely  to  you.  This  you 
say  to  him  !  this  he  says  to  you  by  the  supper  ! 
Behold,  how  well  he  knows  man,  and  the 
wants  of  man  !  He  knows  what  he  needs  who 
is  hungering  and  thirsting  after  righteousness, 
after  conformity  to  him,  after  communion  with 
him  and  the  Father  ;  and  he  will  give  to'  every 
one  who  turns  to  him  that  which  he  needs  in 
order  to  be  nourished  and  strengthened,  re- 
vived and  refreshed.  So  he  promised  :  and 
every  supper  confirms  the  promise  of  his 
mouth. 


THE    LOVE    OF   JESUS. 


PART     SECOND. 


1  Corinthians  11 :  23—20. 

For  I  have  received  of  the  Lord  that  which  also  1 
delivered  unto  you;  That  the  Lord  Jesus,  the  same 
night  in  which  he  was  betrayed,  took  bread  ;  and  when 
be  had  given  thanks,  he  brake  it,  and  said,  Take,  eat ; 
this  is  my  body,  which  is  broken  for  you  ;  this  do  in 
remembrance  of  me.  After  the  same  manner  also  he 
took  the  cup,  when  he  had  supped,  saying,  This  cup  is 
the  New  Testament  in  my  blood  ;  this  do  ye,  as  oft  as 
ye  drink  it,  in  -remembrance  of  me.  For  as  often  as  ye 
eat  this  bread,  and  drink  this  cup,  ye  do  shew  the  Lord's 
death  till  he  come.  Wherefore,  whosoever  shall  eat 
this  bread,  and  drink  this  cup  of  the  Lord,  unworthily, 
shall  be  guilty  of  the  body  and  blood  of  the  Lord.  But 
let  a  man  examine  himself,  and  so  let  him  eat  of  that 
bread,  and  drink  of  that  cup.  For  he  that  eateth  and 
drinketh  unworthily,  eateth  and  drinketh  damnation  to 
himself,  not  discerning  the  Lord's  body. 

Behold,  here  is  full  instruction  upon  what  is 


the  lord's  supper.  35 

most  essential  and  important  to  be  considered 
in  this  holy  act,  in  which  we  are  all  unitedly 
to  participate  to-morrow,  and  for  which  we 
wish  to  prepare  ourselves  more  fully  to-day. 
Who  instituted  this  repast,  which  we  call  the 
Lord's  supper ;  when  it  was  instituted,  and 
observed  for  the  first  time ;  how  it  was  ob- 
served, and  how  and  for  what  reason  it  was 
to  continue  to  be  observed  through  all  coming 
time ;  what  it  had  for  its  signification  and  ob- 
ject ;  what  the  spirit  and  heart  is  at  that  time 
to  be  fixed  upon  ;  what  should  then  be  the 
state  of  the  mind  and  heart,  and  how  they  are 
to  be  prepared  for  it,  so  as  not  to  be  made  sin- 
ful and  punishable  by  participation  in  the  repast, 
—  all  this  is  comprised  in  the  instruction  upon 
the  holy  supper  which  the  apostle  gave  to  the 
christian  church  in  the  city  of  Corinth.  In 
this  important  and  splendid  city  of  Greece 
there  was  an  important  church.  But  alas  ! 
even  at  that  time,  it  had  come  to  such  a  pass 
in  a  christian  Church,  that  in  the  very  holiest 
assemblies  of  Christians  it  often  occurred,  that 
indeed  it  could  not  be  seen  that  they  who  were 
together  were  Christians  j  and  still  less  could 


36  THE    LOVE    OF    JESUS. 

it  have  been  thought  that  they  had  come  to- 
gether in  order  to  worship  Christ,  their  Lord, 
with  the  deepest  veneration,  and  to  commem- 
orate him  with  the  pledges  of  his  highest  love, 
with  the  emblems  of  the  blessings  and  benefits 
of  his  death,  with  sorrowing,  heart-felt  love, 
and  with  tender,  fervent  gratitude. 

Christians'  in  those  times  often  assembled 
for  certain  mutual  festivals,  which  they  were 
accustomed  to  conclude  with  the  breaking  of 
bread,  and  drinking  the  cup  of  thanksgiving, 
according  to  the  will  and  command  of  their 
Lord.  Jesus  at  the  feast  of  the  Passover  had 
instituted  this  memorial  of  his  death.  His 
first  disciples  wished  to  manage  every  thing  as 
exactly  as  possible  according  to  their  Lord's 
institution  ;  and  who  does  not  respect  and  high- 
ly estimate  their  intention  ?  Hence  arose  those 
social  repasts  which  they  called  love-feasts. 
A  beautiful,  appropriate  name  !  if  only  it  had 
always  retained  the  reality  with  the  name.  But 
alas !  if  we  notice  in  this  eleventh  chapter  of 
Corinthians  what  it  was  that  induced  the  apos- 
tle to  repeat  this  instruction  upon  the  holy  sup- 
per,  so  circumstantially  and  in  writing,  to   a 


the  lord's  supper.  37 

Christian  church,  we  see  that  the  Corinthian 
Christians  in  regard  to  their  love-feasts  fell 
into  much  the  same  state  as  Christians  of  the 
present  day  with  regard  to  many  sacred  things  ; 
yes.,  even  as  it  is  with  the  very  name  of  Chris-, 
tian.  The  name  only  was  there;  and  what 
the  name  expressed  and  betokened  was  want- 
ing, while  the  very  opposite  was  there.  Love- 
feast  !  Yes,  justly  might  those  repasts  be  so 
styled  at  which  Christians  sat  together  as  such, 
and  with  which  they  connected  the  commemo- 
rative observance  of  the  death  of  Jesus.  Jesus 
was  love  itself;  out  of  love,  and  love  alone, 
he  died.  Love,  uniting  love,  should  be  the 
badge  of  his  disciples  and  worshippers  ;  and 
love  is  naturally  stirred  up  in  every  heart  which 
is  penetrated  with  the  love  of  him  who  died  on 
the  cross  from  love.  In  cordial  brotherly  love 
they  sat  together,  when  they  ate  and  drank  in 
remembrance  of  their  first-born  brother,  who 
had  gone  away  to  his  Father  and  their  Father ; 
and  the  delightful  fruits  and  beneficent  expres- 
sions of  love  could  not  easily  have  been  want- 
ing there.  Ah  !  it  must  have  been  a  stirring 
and  salutary  sight  to  see  those  first  Christians, 
4 


38  THE    LOVE    OF    JESUS. 

who  full  of  ardent  love  yet  hung  upon  their 
Lord,  affectionately  seated  together  at  such  a 
repast.  The  provisions  were  sent  by  the  mem- 
bers of  the  church.  The  poor,  who  could  con- 
tribute nothing,  fared  just  as  well  originally  as 
the  rich  or  great.  The  wealthier  brother  im- 
parted his  superfluity  to  the  poorer  broiher. 
The  poor  brother  could  not  suffer  want,  so 
long  as  the  richer  brother  had  a  superfluity. 
There  was  then  no  outward  distinction.  All 
were  one ;  all  equal ;  a  circle  of  brothers  and 
sisters.  Love  unites  and  makes  equal.  And 
so  it  ought  to  have  been,  and  so  it  should  have 
continued  to  be ;  but  now  at  Corinth  the  rich 
man  had  his  expensive  food  brought  for  him- 
self, and  then  ate  by  himself,  unconcerned 
about  the  others.  The  poor  were  not  remem- 
bered ;  and  what  was  yet  worse,  they  went 
and  assembled  there  together  without  consid- 
ering on  what  particular  account  they  did  so, 
and  in  what  respect  this  repast  which  they  cel- 
ebrated must  be  distinguished  from  every  other. 
They  went  to  it  thoughtlessly,  as  a  banquet  of 
sensuality.  They  actually  brought  an  offering 
to   sensuality.     They   sought   to    please  the 


the  lord's  supper.  39 

flesh.  And  it  may  be  imagined  in  what  frame 
of  mind,  in  what  temper  of  heart,  the  Lord's 
Supper  was  celebrated  after  repasts  so  held. 
The  rich  were  overladen  with  meat  and  drink, 
and  thus  unfitted  for  fine  spiritual  enjoyment, 
for  tender  religious  emotion,  and  incapable  of 
devotion  or  edification.  The  poor  were  hungry, 
many  of  them  mortified  and  afflicted,  or  vexed 
and  embittered  by  cold  neglect  or  contemptu- 
ous disdain.  At  a  festival  which,  according  to  its 
name  and  substance,  its  nature  and  intention, 
should  have  brought  hearts  nearer  together, 
there  was  frozen  division  of  hearts,  and  cold  es- 
trangement of  minds.  Yes,  it  was  as  mildly  and 
forbearingly  expressed  as  possible,  when  the 
apostle  said  to  them  with  perfect  truth,  e  I  praise 
you  not,  that  ye  come  together  not  for  the  better, 
but  for  the  worse.'  It  was  not  the  fault  of  the 
festival  certainly,  that  they  became  worse  rath- 
er than  better  at  every  meeting.  If  every 
thing  had  been  and  continued  with  them  as  it 
should  have  been  and  continued,  they  would 
certainly  always  have  come  together  for 
the  better.  And  it  was  really  a  lamentable 
truth  — '  When  ye  come  together   into   one 


40  THE    LOVE    OF    JESUS. 

place,  this  is  not  to  eat  the  Lord's  Supper.' 
And  in  order  to  represent  this  to  them  yet 
more  clearly,  in  order  to  make  yet  more  strik- 
ing the  scandalous,  profane  abuse  of  a  custom 
so  holy,  he  leads  them  by  a  simple  relation  of 
the  institution  of  the  supper  to  a  knowledge  of 
its  true  value,  and  makes  them  sensible  in  its 
full  weight  of  what  is  meant  and  expressed  by 
that,  —  'eat  the  Lord's  Supper;'  and  it  is 
necessary  lhat  Christians  in  this  country  should 
learn  it  too.  If  the  Corinthian  abuses  do  not 
take  place  in  our  day,  when  the  supper  is  no 
longer  celebrated  according  to  the  ancient  mode, 
still  Christians  of  our  times  too  often,  alas!  have 
occasion  to  say,  '  When  ye  come  together  into 
one  place,  this  is  not  to  eat  the  Lord's  Supper.' 
And  that  this  instruction  of  the  apostle  is  not 
less  important  and  sacred  to  us  than  to  the  Co- 
rinthians, appears  at  once  from  the  solemn  be- 
ginning. 

/  have  received  from  the  Lord,  that  which 
also  I  delivered  unto  you.  The  apostle  al- 
ludes to  the  information  which  he  had  im- 
parted to  them  upon  the  supper  of  the  Lord. 


THE    LORD'S    SUPPER.  41 

What  I  have  imparted  to  you  thereupon,  he 
would  say,  well  merited  to  be  better  consid- 
ered and  followed.  It  did  not  originate  in  my 
head,  it  was  not  an  affair  of  my  invention  or 
interpretation,  nor  did  I  derive  it  from  the  as- 
sertions or  reports  of  others,  nor  from  written 
or  verbal  information.  '  I  have  received  of 
the  Lord  that  which  also  I  delivered  unto  you.' 
Hence  if  others  teach  anything  different  re- 
specting it  from  what  I  have  done,  and  if  they 
so  teach  that  the  consequence  of  their  doctrine 
is  the  desecration  and  disparagement  of  the 
holy  supper,  you  ought  not  in  justice  to  con- 
fide in  them.  It  is  true,  I  was  not  a  witness 
of  it  any  more  than  they,  when  our  Lord  on 
that  last  evening  before  his  death  instituted 
this  memorial  of  his  love  ;  but  it  is  as  well  as 
if  I  had  been  there  present,  and  had  heard  all 
from  his  own  mouth.  From  him  was  that 
which  I  delivered  unto  you,  and  which  I  must 
now  repeat,  because  you  have  forgotten  it,  or 
because  it  does  not  seem  to  be  of  so  much 
consequence  to  you  as  it  should  be.  I  give 
you  again,  therefore,  what  I  myself  received. 
Let  it  avail  then  with  us,  the  same  as  if  the 
4* 


42  THE    LOVE    OF    JESUS. 

Lord  himself  had  said  it.  The  words  of  the 
apostle  must  be  as  sacred  to  us  as  the  words 
of  the  Lord  himself. 

First  of  all  he  is  mentioned,  toward  whom 
our  whole  soul  should  be  directed  in  the 
supper.  The  Lord  Jesus  was  the  founder. 
He  is  the  chief  object  and  aim  of  this  action. 
He,  the  Lord,  there  sat  at  the  table,  on  which 
stood  the  bread  and  wine.  Disciples,  worship- 
pers and  servants  of  this  Lord,  men  who  had 
learnt  of  him,  who  were  well  known  and  con- 
fided in  by  him,  who  adhered  to  him,  followed 
him,  and  obeyed  him,  were  the  company  at 
the  table.  To  all  these  he  Was  Lord.  But 
one  there  was  against  him. 

Thus  for  the  first  time,  he  with  his  friends, 
held  that  festival  which  thenceforward  should 
be  celebrated  to  his  memory.  Yes,  to  him, 
to  Jesus  ycu  draw  near  !  To  him  you  draw 
near  as  to  your  Lord,  when  you  come  to  his 
supper.  You  profess  yourself  his  worshipper 
and  servant,  you  declare  him  to  be  your  Lord 
by  partaking  in  this  repast.  This  repast  is  for 
Christians  alone;  by   Christians   has   it  been 


the  lord's  supper.  43 

held  from  the  beginning.  But  there  are  many 
things  in  Jesus  the  Lord,  on  which  you  might 
fix  the  eye  and  heart,  and  of  which  you  might 
gladly  and  gratefully  remind  yourself,  if  the 
evening  meal  in  general  should  be  a  meal  for 
commemorating  Jesus,  your  Lord.  The  time 
on  which  this  repast  was  first  held  by  him  with 
his  friends  calls  your  attention  to  that  point 
which  should  here  be  more  important  to  you 
than  all  others.  It  was  on  the  evening  of  the 
last  day  before  his  death, — on  that  night  when 
he  was  betrayed  to  his  enemies,  who  had  de- 
sired and  determined  his  death ;  and  ah  !  by 
one  of  his  confidential  friends,  who  had  eaten 
bread  with  him,  and  now  also  partook  in  this 
most  confidential  repast.  There  sat  he  once 
more,  all  love,  in  the  midst  of  his  beloved. 
He  knew  that  it  was  the  last  time ;  he  knew 
the  terrors  that  so  nearly  awaited  him.  But 
love  here  too  forgat  itself  in  the  welfare  of  oth- 
ers. To  them  who  lay  so  near  his  soul,  to 
them  with  whom  he  ate  and  drank  for  the  last 
time  before  his  death, — to  them  he  wished  to 
leave  this  festival  a  delightful,  and  salutary 
memorial  of  his  love.     Ah  !  full  of  wisdom 


44  THE    LOVE    OF    JESUS. 

and  grace,  he  averted  his  glance  from  the  ter- 
ror, and  dismay,  and  violence  of  his  death, 
and  turned  it  toward  the  joyful  effects  of  his 
death,  effects  so  desirable,  so  salutary,  and  so 
adapted  to  the  wants  of  men. 

The  paschal  lamb  was  eaten.  The  festival 
was  held  which  reminded  the  Israelites  to  be 
grateful  for  a  deliverance  wrought  by  God, 
from  great  misery  and  public  danger.  You 
know  how  that  in  the  last  night,  which  ended 
the  sufferings  of  God's  chosen  Israel  in  Egypt, 
all  were  spared  and  preserved,  who  distin- 
guished themselves  by  the  blood  of  the  slaugh- 
tered lamb,  as  sundered  from  the  multitude 
of  those  who  would  know  and  hear  nothing 
of  God,  and  would  not  submit  themselves  to 
his  will,  and  so  brought  upon  themselves  de- 
struction and  death.  On  this  account  that 
supper  of  a  lamb  was  called  passover, — the 
feast  of  exemption  or  salvation.  This  confi- 
dential meal  which  Jesus  made  to  succeed  that 
earlier  one,  and  which  we  still  call  supper  or 
evening-meal,  because  it  was  held  at  evening, 
at  the  coming  of  night,  should  remind  his 
grateful  followers  of  a  salvation  planned  by 


the  lord's  supper.  45 

God,  and  wrought  through  Jesus,  of  a  salva- 
tion from  far  greater  misery,  and  from  the 
danger  of  losing  a  far  higher  and  better  life. 
This  new  festival  was  meant  as  the  sign  and 
seal  of  a  new  covenant  between  God  and  man, 
which  was  to  be  far  more  important  than  that 
earlier  covenant  between  God  and  Israel, 
which  was  abolished  in  this. 

Jesus  had  usually  spoken  of  his  kingdom 
under  emblems  or  parables,  which  brought  to 
mind  enjoyment  and  pleasure.  We  are  all 
acquainted  with  the  parable  of  the  great  fes- 
tive repast  to  which  a  wealthy  householder 
gave  out  invitations  ;  of  the  sumptuous  mar- 
riage-feast which  a  king  prepared  for  his  son ; 
of  the  bride-groom  who  was  expected  to  the 
nuptial  banquet.  And  here  also  by  a  festival, 
he  reminds  his  worshippers  of  enjoyment  and 
pleasure  in  his  kingdom ;  and  he  connects 
with  a  festival,  the  remembrance  of  the  high- 
est proof  of  love,  of  a  proof  which  he  alone 
could  give.  From  what  stood  before  them  on 
the  table  for  enjoyment,  nourishment  and  re- 
freshment, he  took  what   he  consecrated   as 


46  THE    LOVE    OF    JESUS. 

symbols  and  pledges  of  the  life  and  blessed- 
ness which  those  who  should  adhere  to  him, 
would  surely  attain  to  through  his  death. 

He  took  in  his  hand  the  unleavened  cake  ; 
raised  his  eyes  and  heart  to  the  Father  in 
heaven,  and  thanked  him  for  his  gift,  the  bread  ; 
and  gave  to  each  one  a  portion  of  it,  with  the 
words  :  This  is  my  body,  which  is  broken  for 
you  ;  eat  this  in  remembrance  of  me.  In 
like  manner,  after  the  eating,  he  took  the  cup, 
which,  filled  with  red  wine,  the  father  of  the 
family,  after  the  eating  of  the  paschal  lamb, 
passed  around  the  circle  with  joyful  thanks- 
giving ;  whereupon  the  feast  was  concluded 
with  joyful  songs  of  praise.*  Giving  thanks? 
he  gave  the  cup,  that  they  all  might  drink  of 
it.  This  cup,  said  he  at  the  time,  is  the  New 
Testament  in  my  blood.  Drink  ye  of  it,  and 
as  oft  as  ye  so  drink  it,  do  it  in  remembrance 
of  me. 

Thus  we  learn  clearly  enough,  what  should 

*  The  songs  of  praise  and  thanksgiving  which 
were  sung  by  the  Jews  at  this  high  festival,  were 
Psalms  cxiii,  cxiv,  cxv,  cxvi,  cxvii,  cxviii. 


the  lord's   supper.  47 

distinguish  this  festival,  and  what  ought  to  be 
contemplated  in  it  ;  the  death  of  Jesus  ought 
to  be  placed  before  the  eyes  of  those  who  par- 
take of  it.  So  he  says  who  instituted  it :  Be- 
hold, I  break  this  bread,  and  give  it  you  ;  take 
ye  it,  and  eat  it.  The  bread  must  be  given 
away  ;  it  does  not,  and  cannot  remain  just  as 
it  is,  if  it  is  to  give  nourishment,  strength,  and 
power.  So  will  this  my  body  be  given  up, 
broken,  and  destroyed  by  death,  so  that  it 
may  be  a  sacrifice  for  you.  Behold,  this  wTine 
is  poured  out  and  given  away.  Take  and 
drink  ;  it  does  not  and  cannot  remain  just  as 
it  is,  if  it  is  to  cheer,  animate,  refresh  and  re- 
vive. So  will  my  blood  be  shed  through  the 
sacrifice  of  my  body,  whereby  the  new  cove- 
nant is  perfected,  in  which  you.  wTho  come  to 
God  through  me,  shall  be  free  from  that,  from 
which  the  covenant  of  law  could  not  mke 
men  free ;  and  in  which  you  shall  come  into 
possession  of  all  those  things  to  which  men,  as 
sinners,  could  make  no  claim.  My  blood 
shall  ratify  and  seal  the  covenant  of  grace 
and  life,  in  which  every  thing  shall  be  restored 
and  replaced  which  sin  has  taken  away,  and 


48 


THE   LOVE    OF    JESUS. 


corrupted  and  destroyed.  Let  this  be  cer- 
tain and  present  with  you,  as  often  as  you  thus 
eat  and  drink  in  remembrance  of  me. 

Thus,  then,  we  see  in  the  holy  supper  with 
infallible  clearness,  what  shall  be  effected,  pre- 
pared, made  certain  and  granted  through  the 
death  and  sacrifice  of  Jesus,  for  those  who  will 
cleave  to  him.  Bread  is  my  body,  said  he, 
which  is  given  for  you.  Wine  is  my  blood 
which  is  shed  for  the  forgiveness  of  sins.  We 
all  know  that  bread  is  the  most  common  and 
indispensable  sustenance  of  men.  Wine  is 
generally  known  as  a  means  of  strengthening, 
animating  and  reviving.  Hence  Jesus,  who 
could  never  misapply  or  mistake  a  word,  called 
his  body  bread,  and  his  blood  wine.  Should 
his  sacrifice  on  the  cross  be  something  of  that 
kind  for  men,  it  is  impossible  to  doubt,  that 
they  shall  thereby  receive  something  which 
nourishes,  and  strengthens,  and  supports,  which 
cheers,  and  quickens,  and  revives,  which  serves 
for  the  sustenance,  and  activity,  and  well-being 
of  the  outward  man,  and  the  earthly  life. 

Now  when  the  disciples  of  Jesus,  according 


THE    LORDS    SUPPER.  49 

to  the  will  and  example  of  their  teacher,  strove 
to  be  what  they  should  be,  and  observed,  in 
this  and  that  point,  that  they  had  not  attained 
to  what  they  would  ;  that  they  ofttimes  became 
and  did  the  very  opposite  of  what  they  ought 
to  be  and  to  do  ;  that  they  stumbled  and  fell ; 
when  their  sad  and  tearful  eyes  looked  at  of- 
fences of  which  they  had  incurred  the  guilt ; 
when  the  actual,  or  apparent,  evil  consequen- 
ces of  these  offences  stood  in  clear  light  before 
the  afflicted  soul ;  or  when  they  felt  intolera- 
ble coldness  and  deadness  in  their  whole  being  ; 
or  when  they  were  oppressed,  troubled,  weary, 
and  heavy  laden ;  when  their  inmost  soul 
hungered  and  thirsted  after  life  and  nourish- 
ment from  above  ;  did  they  then  do  too  much, 
when  they  made  use  of  the  supper  as  a  means 
of  strengthening,  animating  and  reviving;  aye, 
when  they  confidently  expected  by  means  of 
this  supper  all  that  was  indispensable  to  them, 
as  bread  is  to  the  hungry,  and  a  refreshing  and 
enlivening  draught  to  the  thirsty?  No;  if 
through  the  death  of  Jesus  man  were  not  to 
have  something  which  is  to  the  wants  of  his 
nature  what  genuine,  invigorating  bread  is  to 
5 


50  THE    LOVE    OF    JESUS. 

the  hungry,  and  refreshing,  cheering  wine,  is  to 
the  thirsty,  then  Jesus  would  not  have  made 
bread  and  wine  the  memorials  and  emblems  of 
his  death.  As  certainly  as  you  appease  your 
hunger,  and  find  yourself  nourished  and 
strengthened  by  the  food  which  you  take, 
though  you  can  neither  know,  nor  conceive 
how,  and  in  what  way  this  food  nourishes, 
strengthens,  and  supports  us  ;  as  certainly  as 
you  quench  your  thirst,  and  feel  yourself  re- 
vived by  a  fresh  and  refreshing  draught,  though 
you  are  unable  to  comprehend  how  it  comes  to 
pass  that  we  are  so  revived  by  it ;  so  certain  it 
is,  that,  through  the  death  of  Jesus,  that  which 
you  seek  in  him  will  be  for  your  strengthening 
and  reviving,  however  this  strengthening  and 
reviving  may  be  brought  about,  and  however 
it  may  be  connected  with  his  death.  Behold, 
this  is  said  and  sealed  by  the  bread  and  wine, 
in  the  supper. 

The  supper  likewise  says,  and  assures,  that 
Jesus  makes  it  difficult  for  no  one  to  partici- 
pate in  the  blessings  of  his  love,  and  the  bene- 
fits of  his  death.  Simple  as  are  the  means  of 
strengthening  and  reviving  which  he  employs 


THE    LORD'S    SDPPER.  51 

as  emblems  of  his  body,  so  simple  and  natural 
is  also  the  mode  of  partaking,  and  receiving. 
Those  who  knew  not  whither  they  must  go,  if 
they  would  hear  the  words  of  eternal  life,  were 
there  assembled  around  him  ;  they  saw  what 
he  offered  ;  they  heard  what  he  said  ;  and 
they  reached  out  their  hands  to  meet  his  :  they 
took  what  he  gave  them,  they  ate  and  drank. 
Here  too,  as  in  baptism,  that  which  is  offered 
is  inexpressibly  important,  and  necessary,  and 
salutary  ;  and  nothing  easier  than  the  mode  of 
reception,  the  condition  of  partaking.  These 
gifts  were  nowhere  to  be  purchased  at  any 
price.  Behold,  the  only  purchaser  of  these 
gifts,  who  has  purchased  them  at  the  dearest 
price,  who  freely  offers  them  !  Whoever  would 
have  it,  has  but  to  go  to  him,  and  receive  from 
him,  what  he  offers. 

But  indeed  it  naturally  depends  on  that  de- 
sire to  have.  Think  you  not,  that  Jesus  well 
knew  and  considered  that  just  such  a  memo- 
rial of  his  love  and  foresight  would  be  right 
welcome  and  desirable  to  his  disciples  ?  that 
just  such  a  bequeathed  pledge  of  love,  espe- 
cially when  their   eyes  saw  him  no  more  on 


52  THE    LOVE    OF    JESUS. 

earth,  would  be  truly  dear  and  precious  to 
them,  and  exactly  accord  with  the  wants  of 
their  hearts  ?  Think  you  not,  that  they  ea- 
gerly reached  forth  their  hands  when  Jesus 
presented  the  bread  and  wine,  and  at  the  same 
time  spake  such  significant  words  ?  And  think 
you  not,  that  their  hearts  full  oft  impelled  them 
so  to  break  bread,  and  drink  wine,  in  remem- 
brance of  the  Lord,  who  had  become  so  indis- 
pensable to  them,  and  whose  nearness  and 
presence  they  afterwards  full  often  missed  ? 
Ah,  yesj  surely  this  festival  was  precisely  cal- 
culated for  the  wants  and  wishes  which  were 
now  excited,  or  which,  sooner  or  later,  would 
certainly  be  excited  in  them.  Without  some 
such  want,  such  a  feast  had  been  nothing,  and 
would  be  nothing  to  them,  however  glorious  and 
precious  the  things  that  might  be  thereby  be- 
tokened and  sealed.  And  to  whom  could  it 
avail,  without  any  knowledge  and  feeling  that 
such  a  being  was  needful  for  him,  as  he  who 
became  on  the  cross,  a  sacrifice  for  men  ?  or 
without  any  hunger  and  thirst  after  something 
so  nourishing,  strengthening,  and  enlivening  as 
was  offered  and  assured  by  the  bread  and  wine 


the  lord's  supper.  53 

in  the  supper  ?  Do  they  lay  out  the  table  for 
those  that  are  filled  ?  Do  they  invite  him  to  it 
who  has  no  desire  to  eat  ?  Do  they  give 
bread  to  the  satiated,  who  would  enjoy  some- 
thing further  in  his  satiety,  in  order  yet  more 
to  tickle  his  palate,  and  gratify  his  sensuality? 
Does  he  who  is  not  hungry,  who  is  satiated, 
and  over  satiated,  desire  plain  bread?  and 
will  in  such  case,  its  whole  value  be  acknow- 
ledged, and  will  it  be  so  esteemed  and  prized 
as  God's  gift,  as  by  him  who  suffers  want,  and 
is  hungry  ?  No  ;  only  he  who  is  faint  and 
feeble,  who  has  a  consuming  thirst,  and  lan- 
guishes for  refreshment,  knows  how  to  under- 
stand and  estimate  what  a  precious  restorative 
is  the  wine ;  to  him  would  a  cup  filled  with 
wine,  if  he  met  with  it,  be  indeed  a  cup  of 
thanksgiving.  He  who  has  an  aversion  to 
wine,  or  who  has  lost  all  taste  for  such  a  gen- 
erous, simple  beverage,  what  will  he  do  with 
wine  ?  He  will  keep  to  his  favorite  drink  in 
which  he  finds  what  he  seeks,  even  if  the  wine 
has  the  decided  preference,  and  even  if  his  ar- 
tificial, mingled,  sweet,  perishing  drink  is  op- 
posed to  every  unperverted  taste,  and  also 
5* 


54  THE    LOVE    OF    JESUS. 

stupifies,  weakens,  injures,  and  slowly  destroys 
him,  instead  of  refreshing,  quickening,  strength- 
ening, and  reviving  him.  He  who  suffers 
hunger  and  thirst  knows  what  he  has  in  the 
bread  and  wine,  and  what  an  office  of  love  he 
performs  who  with  spontaneous,  and  gratuitous 
goodness  offers  him  both.  He  who  suffers  for 
want  of  that  which  is  made  ready  and  certain 
through  the  death  of  Jesus,  and  which  ought 
to  be  devoted  and  sealed  by  the  bread  and 
wine  in  the  supper,  who  acknowledges  and 
feels  this  want  in  himself,  and  earnestly  desires 
to  be  relieved,  he  only  will  come  to  Jesus,  and 
will  have  and  receive  from  him,  and  truly 
make  him  his  own,  who  himself  offered  his 
flesh  and  blood  ;  and  his  wants  shall  be  satis- 
fied, as  certainly  as  bread  appeases  hunger — 
and  wine,  the  thirst.  So  says  and  assures  the 
supper  ;  and  then,  indeed,  will  be  known  and 
appreciated  what  we  have  in  a  being  like  Je- 
sus ;  what  unspeakably  great  love  he  manifest- 
ed by  the  sacrifice  of  himself;  and  what  it  is 
to  receive  all  that  we  so  pressingly  need  for 
true  welfare  and  true  life,  in  such  an  easy  way  ! 
Yes ;  every  one  who  thus  comes  to  Jesus 


the  lord's   supper.  55 

Christ,  in  order  to  receive  from  him  what  he 
needs,  and  who  thus  seeks,  will  find  what  he 
seeks,  be  he  who  he  may,  whenever  and 
wherever  he  may  live  on  the  earth.  It  was 
not  to  cease  with  that  single  repast,  upon  the 
night  in  which  he  wTas  betrayed.  He  said, 
while  he  distributed  the  bread  :  This  do  in 
remembrance  of  me  ;  take  bread  and  eat  it 
thus,  and  think  therein  of  me,  when  1  am  no 
longer  visibly  with  you  on  the  earth.  And 
with  the  wine  he  said  in  like  manner  :  This  do 
ye,  as  oft  as  ye  drink,  in  remembrance  of  me. 
And  so  too,  they  often  did.  They  continued 
in  fellowship  and  breaking  of  bread.  They 
brake  the  bread  here  and  there  in  private 
houses.  It  is  so  stated  in  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles  of  the  first  Christian  church  in  Jeru- 
salem 5  and  we  should  have  expected  it,  even 
if  it  had  not  been  stated. 

If  the  beloved  of  your  heart  must  be  separa- 
ted from  you  for  a  long  time,  or  without  any 
hope  of  again  meeting  on  earth,  and  at  his  de- 
parture should  give  you  his  portrait,  or  ring  of 
constancy,  with  the  words  :  Think  of  me, 
when  I  am  far  away  ;  would  you  not  often  by 


56  THE    LOVE    OF    JESUS. 

its  means,  bring  that  distant,  invisible  friend 
near  to  your  heart  and  soul  ?  And  even  if  he 
had  not  spoken,  would  it  require  for  that  pur- 
pose an  outward  suggestion,  an  exhortation 
from  others,  or  an  injunction,  while  you  bore 
him  in  your  heart  ?  Or  if  a  loving  friend  who 
died  as  a  victim  of  his  love  for  you,  had 
given  you  shortly  before  his  death  a  pledge  of 
his  love,  which  should  be  to  you  a  perfect 
expression  of  the  mind  and  heart,  with  which 
he  departed  to  a  better  world,  would  any  narra- 
tive, any  epistle,  any  dead  letter,  be  able  to  pre- 
sent him  so  vividly  to  your  soul,  to  restore  him 
to  your  heart,  as  this  pledge  with  the  stamp  of 
his  heart  upon  it  ?  Would  not  every  moment 
be  sacred  to  you,  in  which,  withdrawn  from 
the  tumult  of  the  world,  you  could  employ 
yourself  with  him  before  this  hallowed  relic  ? 
Would  not  your  heart  in  silence  often  thus 
prepare  itself  a  feast  ?  Would  not  tears  of 
love,  and  gratitude,  and  earnest  longing,  often 
bedew  the  dear  memorial  of  love  ?  Yes ;  to 
him  who  has  a  heart  in  his  bosom  that  is  near 
and  dear  to  Jesus,  to  him  that  is  ever  a  favor- 
ed, desired,  and  holy  hour,  when  he  with  others. 


the  lord's  supper.  57 

can  adhere  to  this  Jesus,  and  do  that  which  Je- 
sus has  commanded  to  be  done  in  remem- 
brance of  him. 

Where  could  there  have  been  a  Christian 
church  without  this  sacrament  ?  And  it  is  not 
to  be  confined  to  those  first  disciples  of  Jesus, 
nor  to  those  earlier  Christian  churches.  To 
all  Christians,  in  all  the  world,  at  all  times 
should  the  Lord's  Supper  be  a  compensation 
for  the  loss  of  his  personal  presence.  To  all 
should  it  sensibly  represent  his  love  and  his 
death — the  blessings  of  his  love,  and  the  fruits 
of  his  death  :  for  as  often  as  ye  eat  this  bread, 
and  drink  this  cup,  ye  do  show  the  Lord's 
death  'till  he  come.  Do  you  hear  ?  'Till  he 
shall  come  again  hereafter,  so  long  will  this 
feast  be,  and  remain,  an  evidence  and  memo- 
rial that  he  once  lived,  and  suffered,  and  died, 
on  earth.  From  his  death  even  to  the  end  of 
days,  will  that  love  by  which  he  died  be  testi- 
fied and  proclaimed  by  this  feast.  O  dean 
worthy,  precious  wTord  for  us,  and  for  all,  who 
live  by  faith,  and  not  by  sight ;  for  all  of  us 
whose  eyes  saw  him  not  in  his  grace  and  love, 
whose    ear   heard   no   word  of  life  from   his 


58  THE    LOVE    OF    JESUS. 

mouth,  who  were  not  witnesses  of  any  proof  of 
his  love.  O,  happy  are  we,  if  we  have  not 
seen  him,  and  yet  have  loved  ;  if  we  believe 
in  him,  though  we  see  him  not  !  Yes ;  so 
commonly  as  bread  and  wine  are  known  as 
means  of  nourishment,  and  strengthening,  so 
commonly  will  his  sacrifice  of  love  be  proclaim- 
ed as  means  of  nourishing  and  strengthening, 
or  enlivening  and  quickening.  So  too,  will 
that  be  proclaimed  and  sealed  by  the  sacra- 
ment, which  he  so  commonly  said  :  I  am  the 
bread  of  life  ;  he  that  cometh  to  me  shall  nev- 
er hunger ;  and  he  that  believeth  on  me  shall 
never  thirst.  1  am  the  living  bread  which 
came  down  from  heaven.  If  any  man  eat  of 
this  bread,  he  shall  live  forever :  and  the 
bread  that  I  will  give  is  my  flesh,  which  I  will 
give  for  the  life  of  the  world.  Whoso  eateth 
my  flesh,  and  drinketh  my  blood,  hath  eternal 
life  ;  and  I  will  raise  him  up  at  the  last  day. 
So  too,  in  this  last  supper  before  his  death, 
speaks  the  voice  which  cried  in  the  last  day, 
that  great  day  of  the  feast.  If  any  man  thirst, 
let  him  come  unto  me  and  drink.  He  that 
believeth  in  me,  as  the  Scripture  hath  said,  out 


the  lord's   supper.  59 

of  his  belly  shall  flow  rivers  of  living  water. 
So,  also,  resounds  from  this  sacrament  the  call 
of  love  :  Come  unto  me  all  ye  that  labor  and 
are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest.  So 
likewise  his  supper  makes  intelligible  and  cer- 
tain to  us  that  word  of  his  mouth  :  If  a  man 
love  me,  he  will  keep  my  words  :  and  my  Fa- 
ther will  love  him,  and  we  will  come  unto  him, 
and  make  our  abode  with  him.  So,  too,  is  his 
supper,  f  yea  and  amen '  to  the  promise  : 
Blessed  are  they  which  do  hunger  and  thirst 
after  righteousness,  for  they  shall  be  filled  ! 
and  it  is  a  seal  to  the  assurance  :  I  am  come 
that  they  might  have  life,  and  that  they  might 
have  it  more  abundantly. 

Yes;  Christian  friend,  only  come  with  the 
right  mind  and  heart  to  him,  to  your  Lord,  in 
this  supper  ;  draw  very  near  to  him  at  his 
table ;  place  yourself  very  close  to  him,  and 
get  still  closer,  then  is  he  also  come  near  to 
you  ;  then  is  he  as  near  to  you  as  he  was  to 
his  disciples  on  that  evening,  though  your  eye 
may  not  see  him  ;  then  he  says  to  you  by  the 
bread  and  by  the  cup,  the  same  as  he  there 
said,  though  your  ear  may  not  perceive  the 


60  THE    LOVE    OF    JESUS. 

voice  of  his  mouth.  Yes  ;  in  faith  and  by 
faith,  you  have  him  who  gave  himself  for  you. 
His  Spirit  is  in  you  ;  you  are  his.  He  that 
eateth  my  flesh,  and  drinketh  my  blood,  dvvell- 
eth  in  me,  and  I  in  him.  So  he  says  himself. 
The  cup  of  blessing  which  we  bless,  is  it  not 
the  communion  of  the  blood  of  Christ  ?  the 
bread  which  we  break,  is  it  not  the  communion 
of  the  body  of  Christ  ?  So  says  one  of  his 
ambassadors.  Yes  ;  his  death  is  yours,  as  well 
as  his  life.  He  has  died  for  you,  though  you 
were  not  born  till  above  eighteen  centuries  af- 
ter his  death  ;  and  he  lives  for  you  though  you 
see  and  hear  nothing  of  him  ;  and  he  will  here- 
after come  again  to  your  joy  and  blessedness, 
though  he  will  so  long  delay  the  fulfilment  of 
his  promise.  Of  this  his  supper  is  to  you  a 
sign  and  seal,  a  witness  and  pledge.  And 
so  have  all  been  further  witnesses  of  him,  who 
have  received  his  gospel,  from  his  ascension, 
through  all  centuries,  even  to  this  day  ;  and 
thus  it  has  been  a  means  of  strengthening  and 
comforting  thousands  of  his  worshippers  scat- 
tered over  the  earth  ;  and  thus  it  will  continue 
to  be  observed  till  he  come  again,  however  the 


THE    LORD'S    SUPPER.  61 

world  may  change ;  and  though  there  shall 
come  in  the  last  days  scoffers,  walking  after 
their  own  lusts,  and  saying,  where  is  the 
promise  of  his  coming  ?  Still  Jesus  testifies 
by  the  supper  to  all  his  worshippers  in  every 
age  :  Lo,  I  am  with  you  alway,  even  unto  the 
end  of  the  world  ! 

After  such  instruction  upon  the  holy  supper, 
does  any  one  inquire  how  and  why  the  Chris- 
tians in  the  Corinthian  church,  in  their  assem- 
blies ate  unworthily  of  the  bread,  and  drank 
unworthily  from  the  cup  of  the  Lord  ?  They 
ate  and  drank  unworthily,  because  they  ate 
and  drank  without  thought  and  veneration  for 
Jesus,  without  reflection  and  interest  in  the 
heart,  thankless  and  unfeeling,  indhTerent  and 
inattentive,  with  fleshly  minds  and  impure,  per- 
verted hearts,  with  neglect  and  contempt  to- 
ward their  Christian  brothers  and  sisters. 
They  ate  and  drank  unworthily,  because  each 
thought  only  of  himself,  and  cared  not  for  oth- 
ers ;  just  as  people  in  our  times  also  do,  who 
are  accustomed  to  say,  '  Each  one  for  him- 
self, and  God  for  us  all.'  They  thought  not 
G 


62  THE   LOVE    OF    JESUS. 

with  sympathizing  hearts  of  the  poorer,  hum- 
bler brother  ;  and  they  thought  not  with  love 
and  gratitude  of  him,  on  whom  more  than  all 
the  heart  should  then  be  fixed.  They  ate  and 
drank  unworthily,  because  they  discerned  not 
the  Lord's  body,  because  they  did  not  con- 
sider and  lay  to  heart  the  distinguishing  and 
significant  points  of.  this  repast,  because  in 
partaking  of  the  bread  it  was  not  with  them  a 
vitally  important  consideration,  '  The  Lord 
offered  up  his  body  for  me  on  the  cross  !'  and 
in  partaking  of  the  wine,  '  The  Lord  shed  his 
blood  for  the  forgiveness  of  my  sins !'  They 
ate  and  drank  unworthily,  because  they  even 
then  supplied  aid  and  nourishment  to  their 
fleshly  lusts  and  impure  desires,  when  the  mem- 
ory of  Christ's  crucifixion  should  have  been 
newly  and  deeply  impressed  upon  them. 
'  They  that  are  Christ's  have  crucified  the 
flesh  with  the  affections  and  lusts.'  '  Ye  are 
bought  with  a  price  ;  therefore  glorify  God 
in  your  body,  and  in  your  spirit,  which  are 
God's.'  In  short,  they  ate  unworthily,  because 
through  this  supper  they  were  nothing  better- 
ed, but  rather  grew  worse. 


63 

Thus  by  great  sin  they  made  themselves 
guilty  of  the  body  and  blood  of  our  Lord. 
They  ate  and  drank  damnation  to  themselves, 
because  they  discerned  not  the  Lord's  body. 
They  were  accomplices  in  regard  to  the  body 
of  the  Lord,  whose  sacrifice  was  occasioned 
by  the  sins  of  men  ;  and  in  regard  to  the 
blood  of  the  Lord,  which  was  shed  for  the  de- 
liverance of  men  from  misery,  and  ruin,  and 
death  of  sin.  If  men  had  not  had  such 
impure  minds  and  depraved  hearts,  so  vain 
and  blinded,  and  so  infatuated  and  contracted 
by  fleshly  lusts  and  desires,  so  alienated  from 
the  higher,  invisible  world,  and  fettered  to  the 
things  of  this  lower  world,  and  by  perishable 
earthly  pleasures,  and  blunted  as  to  love  for 
God  and  man, — if  there  had  been  no  such  men 
on  the  earth,  if  there  had  been  no  sin  which 
deprives  men  of  peace,  and  happiness,  and 
true  life,  and  plunges  them  into  misery,  and 
ruin,  and  death,  then  Jesus  would  not  have 
needed  thus  to  suffer  and  to  die.  The  sins  of 
men  brought  him  to  this  death.  He  who 
takes  no  thought  nor  care  as  to  the  increasing 
of  his  guilt,  shows  that  it  is  indifferent   to  him 


64  THE    LOVE    OF    JESUS. 

whether  Jesus  had  to  suffer  more  or  less,  or 
whether  he  could  have  been  wholly  exempted 
from  his  sufferings  and  death  ;  and  whoever, 
notwithstanding  Christ's  sacrifice  on  the  cross, 
can  so  indulge  his  malignity  as  to  become 
yet  worse,  would  not  find  it  difficult  to  coincide 
with  that  excess  of  malice,  which  brought  Je- 
sus to  the  cross.  Such  a  man  betrays  an  in- 
difference, a  hardness  and  insensibility  of 
heart,  like  the  indifference,  the  hardness  and 
insensibility  of  those  who  cried,  !  Crucify  him  !' 
No ;  men  who  at  the  feast  of  love,  at  the 
commemorative  celebration  of  the  death  of 
Jesus,  betray  such  a  state  of  mind,  and  so  de- 
ceive themselves ;  who  know  and  consider 
not  how  miserable,  and  poor,  and  helpless 
they  were  without  Jesus,  and  what  it  must 
have  cost  the  Father  in  heaven,  and  what  it 
has  cost  Jesus  to  snatch  men  from  their  mis- 
ery and  ruin  ;  do  not  feel  and  estimate  in  their 
hearts  how  dearly  Jesus  has  bought  them. 
They  have  no  desire  to  become  free  from  that, 
from  which  the  death  of  Jesus  should  make 
them  free  ;  they  allowed  themselves  rather  to 
be  yet  more  blinded,  infatuated  and  snared  by 


the  lord's   supper.  65 

that  which  was  so  opposed  to  God,  to  Jesus  ; 
and  so  were  alienated  still  farther  from  God 
and  Jesus,  to  whom  they  should  have  drawn 
nearer  and  nearer.  They  did  not  acknowl- 
edge and  ponder  the  high  value  and  unuttera- 
ble greatness  of  the  love  of  God  and  Jesus 
Christ,  as  manifested  in  the  arrangement  for 
the  redemption  of  men.  They  felt  nothing  of 
the  weight  and  burden  of  the  sufferings,  to 
which  Jesus  out  of  love  subjected  himself  even 
to  the  death  of  the  cross  ;  and  hence  they  are 
not  excited  to  love  and  gratitude  to  God  and 
Jesus  ;  and  feel  no  inclination,  no  impulse  to 
live  in  love  and  gratitude  to  him  who  died  for 
them.  By  insensibility  and  levity,  by  a  flesh- 
ly mind,  and  by  sin,  the  unfailing  fruit  of  such 
a  mind,  they  made  themselves  guilty  of  the 
body  and  blood  of  the  Lord.  Had  they  had 
any  lively  knowledge  of  the  sufferings  and  the 
death  of  Jesus,  and  of  the  objects  and  results 
of  these  sufferings  and  this  death,  had  they 
had  but  human  compassion  for  what  Jesus 
must  have  suffered,  it  would  have  been  im- 
possible for  them  to  assemble  in  such  evil 
guise  for  the  celebration  of  a  feast  which  was 
<5* 


66  THE    LOVE    OF    JESUS. 

wholly  designed  to  fill  the  heart  with  lively  in- 
ward abhorrence  of  all  that  is  sin  and  iniquity. 
They  increased  and  aggravated  their  guilt  by 
their  observance  of  the  sacrament ;  and  so  ale 
and  drank  to  their  own  condemnation  and 
punishment.  What  might  and  ought  to  have 
been  made  a  most  salutary  blessing  for  the 
heart  and  life,  became,  and  by  their  guilt  be- 
came, a  malediction  and  a  curse.  And  ah  ! 
the  wretched  fruit  which  sin  infallibly  brings 
forth,  when  lust  hath  conceived,  and  when  sin, 
its  offspring  is  finished,  was  not  wanting  there; 
as  is  clearly  intimated  in  the  first  chapter  of 
James  and  fifteenth  verse. 

Learn  then,  dear  Christian  friend,  to  be 
aware  of  and  to  avoid  unworthy  eating  and 
drinking  in  the  holy  supper.  If  a  living 
knowledge  and  inward  feeling  of  your  vileness 
and  unworthiness  before  God  and  your  Sa- 
viour, if  a  correct,  genuine  knowledge  of  your 
sin  and  your  danger,  if  a  deep,  real  feeling  of 
your  weakness  and  need  of  help,  disturbs  and 
distresses  you,  humbles  and  prostrates  you  be- 
fore your  God  and  Saviour,  if  from  your  very 


the  lord's  supper.  67 

heart  you  exclaim,  '  O  wretched  man  that  I 
am,  who  shall  deliver  me  from  that  which 
reigns  in  this  body,  and  brings  me  misery,  ru- 
in and  death  ! ' — upright  and  genuine  Chris- 
tian, think  not  then,  that  you  are  unworthy  to 
enjoy  the  holy  supper,  and  give  yourself  no 
anxiety  about  it.  No  ;  if  your  inmost  soul  is 
in  such  a  frame,  if  your  mind  is  in  such  a  state, 
if  you  are  filled  with  that  sorrow,  which,  be- 
cause it  works  repentance  unto  salvation,  is 
well  pleasing  to  God, — that  repentance  which 
is  not  to  be  repented  of — then  hasten  to  the 
table  of  the  Lord,  that  your  faith  may  be 
strengthened,  your  spirit  raised  up  and  quick- 
ened, your  soul  calmed  and  comforted,  your 
heart  cheered  and  revived  ;  such  a  contrite 
spirit  is  a  sacrifice  acceptable  to  God.  To 
him  whoever  brings  such  a  sacrifice  in  his 
breast  to  his  Saviour's  table,  belongs  that  sa- 
crifice which  the  Saviour  made  to  God  upon 
the  cross.  Such  a  broken  and  contrite  heart 
God  will  not  despise.  O  no ;  to  you  and  to 
all  men  who  have  such  a  heart  and  mind,  it 
is  sensibly  represented  in  the  supper,  brought 
into   full    view,  deeply   impressed   upon   the 


68  THE    LOVE    OF    JESUS. 

heart,  and   made  most  evident  and  certain, — 
that  Jesus  Christ  has  died  for  the  forgiveness 
of  your  sins  !     Your  heart  then  says  to  Jesus, 
as  you  approach  his  table,  '  Be  thou  my  Sa- 
viour, my  Redeemer,  my  helper ;  heal  and 
revive  my   wounded  and  desponding  heart ; 
calm  the  disturbance  and  terrors  of  an  accus- 
ing conscience  ;  raise  the  prostrate   and  bur- 
thened  soul ;  help  me  to  believe ;  strengthen 
and  animate  me  to  that  which  is  good ;  come 
to  the  aid  of  my  weakness  and  frailty  V  Then 
will  he  reply  to  you  through  that  bread  which, 
according  to  his  pleasure  and  command,  is  to 
be  given  to  you :  '  This  is  my  body  which  is 
broken  for  thee  V     He  answers  you  through 
the  cup  which  in  his  name   will   be   presented 
to  you  :  '  This  is  my  blood  which  is  shed  for 
the   remission    of  thy  sins  !     This  wine  is  a 
pledge  and  seal  to  thee,  that  thou   art  a  part- 
ner in  the  covenant  of  grace  and   life,  which 
was    sealed   by  my   blood.     Be    comforted  ! 
Depart  in  peace  !     Sin  no  more  !     Thy  faith 
hath  saved  thee  V 

But  do  you  wish  to  appear  at  the  Lord's  ta- 


tiie  lord's  supper.  69 

ble  ? — take  care  that  you  go  not  thither  thank- 
less and  unfeeling,  indifferent  and  light-mind- 
ed, without  reverence  and  reflection.  You  par- 
take unworthily,  if  you  do  not  consider  what 
you  ought  particularly  to  intend  by  your  going 
to  the  supper.  You  partake  unworthily,  if 
you  do  not  thereby  keep  before  your  eyes  and 
heart,  that  you  there  go  to  Jesus,  your  Lord, 
as  his  disciples  ;  and  that  you  there  seek  in 
Jesus,  and  shall  there  obtain  from  him,  some- 
thing as  needful  and  indispensable  to  the  im- 
mortal welfare  and  eternal  life,  as  bread  to  the 
hungry  and  drink  to  the  thirsty.  You  partake 
unworthily,  if  you  do  not  ponder  the  greatness 
of  the  paternal  love  of  God,  who  so  loved  the 
world,  that  be  gave  his  only  begotten  Son, — 
gave  him  up  to  suffering  and  the  death  of  the 
cross,  —  that  whosoever  believeth  in  him 
should  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life ; — 
if  you  do  not  reflect  upon  and  lay  to  heart  the 
inexpressible  greatness  of  the  I  rotherly  love  of 
Jesus,  who  being  in  the  form  of  God,  thought 
it  not  robbery  to  be  equal  with  God  ;  but  left 
the  heavens,  where  he  might  still  have  enjoyed 
himself  in  the  glory  of  God  ;  and  took  on  him- 


70 


THE    LOVE    OF    JEStfS. 


self  the  form  of  a  servant,  became  brother 
to  the  least  and  lowest,  and  despised  the 
shame,  and  humbled  himself,  and  became 
obedient  unto  death,  even  the  death  of  the 
cross ;  and  all  this,  not  to  gain  any  thing  for 
himself,  but  to  serve  others,  and  to  give  his 
life  for  their  salvation.  You  partake  unwor- 
thily, if  no  thought  nor  feeling  is  excited  in 
you,  that  you  were  bought  at  so  great  a  price 
to  be  his  own,  without  any  works  or  merit  of 
yours,  from  mere  grace  ;  and  if  nothing  of  nat- 
ural emotion,  of  the  innate  sensibility  of  the 
human  heart,  excites  you  to  endeavor  to  live 
in  gratitude  and  reciprocal  love  to  him  who 
gave  his  life,  that  nothing  might  prevent  you 
from  obtaining  eternal  life,  and  to  glorify  him 
in  your  body  and  in  your  spirit,  to  which  he 
has  acquired  every  right. 

Furthermore,  you  partake  unworthily,  if 
you  bear  and  cherish  in  you  bitterness,  envy, 
hatred,  enmity,  implacableness,  revenge,  con- 
tentiousness, avarice,  selfishness,  contempt, 
slander,  falsehood  and  deceit,  or  any  hard, 
unrighteous  feeling,  or  any  hostile,  hateful 
disposition  toward  your  fellow-men,  and  tame- 


THE    LORD'S    SUPPER.  71 

ly  suffer  yourself  to  be  governed  by  them,  in- 
stead of  controlling  them; — if  any  root  of  bit- 
terness spring  up  in  you,  of  which  the  fruit  is 
unkindness  and  dissension  between  you  and 
those  whom  you  ought  to  love  as  yourself,  not 
in  word  and  tongue  merely,  but  in  deed  and 
truth,  so  as  to  do  unto  others  all  that  you 
would  have  them  do  unto  you. 

Behold,  men  join  with  you  without  external 
distinction  at  the  same  table  of  the  one  Lord, 
in  the  same  bread,  and  the  same  cup  ;  chil- 
dren of  one  Father,  brethren  and  sisters  of  one 
Brother,  disciples  and  servants  of  one  Master, 
baptized  with  one  baptism,  confessors  of  one 
religion,  branches  of  one  vine,  members  of 
one  body,  united  by  one  Spirit  to  one  Head, 
called  by  one  Gospel,  and  by  one  faith,  to  one 
Redeemer,  to  salvation  from  one  misery  and 
one  death,  to  one  hope  of  one  life,  to  one 
blessedness  in  the  mansions  of  one  Father's 
house  in  one  heaven.  The  bread  that  is 
broken  in  the  sacrament  is  the  communion  of 
one  body.  The  cup  of  thanksgiving  is  the 
communion  of  one  blood.  For  we,  being 
many,  are  one  bread,  and  one  body  ;  for  we 


72  the  lord's  supper. 

are  all  partakers  of  that  one  bread.  It  is  from 
this  fellowship  that  the  supper  is  called  com- 
munion;  for  this  reason  '  communion  '  means 
the  same  as  '  going  to  the  sacrament.' 

You  come  thereto  in  order  that  the  forgive- 
ness of  your  sins,  and  the  paternal  love  of 
God  with  all  its  blessings,  may  be  sealed  and 
confirmed  to  you:  put  on  therefore,  as  the 
elect  of  God,  holy  and  beloved,  bowels  of 
mercies,  kindness,  humbleness  of  mind,  meek- 
ness, long  suffering  ;  forbearing  one  another, 
and  forgiving  one  another,  if  any  man  have  a 
quarrel  against  any  ;  even  as  Christ  forgave 
you,  so  also  do  ye.  And  above  all  things  put 
on  charity,  which  is  the  bond  of  perfectness. 
And  let  the  peace  oi  God  rule  in  your  hearts, 
to  the  which  also  ye  are  called  in  one  body  ; 
and  be  ye  thankful.  Consider  why  and  where- 
fore you  say  to  your  heavenly  Father  in  the 
Lord's  prayer,  '  Forgive  us  our  debts,  as  we 
forgive  our  debtors  ; — and  consider  what  Je- 
sus adds, — If  ye  forgive  men  their  trespass- 
es, your  heavenly  Father  will  also  forgive 
you.  But  if  ye  forgive  not  men  their  tres- 
passes,   neither     will    your    Father    forgive 


the  lord's    supper.  73 

your  trespasses.  You  would,  at  the  sacrament, 
that  God  may  have   nothing  against  you  : — 
then  consider  and  follow  also  the  word  of  Je- 
sus : — If  thou  bring  thy  gift   to  the  altar,  and 
there  rememberest  that  thy  brother  hath  aught 
against  thee,  leave  there  thy  gift  before  the 
altar,  and  go  thy  way ;  first  be  reconciled  to 
thy  brother,  and  then  come  and  offer.     The 
Lord's  Supper   is   a   feast  of  reconciliation  ; 
and  you  partake  of  it  unworthily,  if  it  is  not 
so  between  you  and  your  neighbor.     But  you 
partake  the  most  unworthily,  if  you  not  only 
do   not  consider  and   lay  to  heart  what  it  is 
from  which  man  should  be  redeemed  and  de- 
livered by  the  death  of  Jesus,  if  your  heart 
is  not  continually   benefitted,  your  mind   and 
life  not  sanctified  more  and  more  through  ev- 
ery sacrament  :  but  if  you  come  to  the  supper 
for  the  purpose  of  purifying  yourself  at  once 
from  old  defilement,  so  as   to  wallow  afresh 
and  more  eagerly  in  the  mire ; — if  you  follow 
after  your  fleshly  lusts  as  before,  and  indeed 
more  peacefully  and  securely  than  before,  and 
seek  only  to  give  free  course  to  your  impure 
lusts  and  unbridled  evil  propensities  ; — if  that 
ungodly  sentiment,  which  may  be  well  called 
7 


74  THE    LOVE    OF    JESUS. 

a  birth  of  hell,  deceive  you,  that  by  the  use 
of  the  holy  sacrament,  the  old  sin  which  had 
accumulated  till  then  is  acquitted,  and  done 
away,  and  a  licence  given  for  the  commission 
of  new  sins.  O  shameful  dishonoring  of  Je- 
sus !  Most  presumptuous  desecration  of  his 
death  !  Coarsest  insensibility,  most  dreadful 
and  deadly  coldness  of  heart,  most  stupid  in- 
difference toward  the  sufferings  and  mortal 
agonies  of  Jesus  !  O  most  shameless,  danger- 
ous and  ruinous  self-deception !  Shall  we, 
who  look  to  be  justified  through  Christ,  be 
ourselves  found  sinners  ?  Is  Christ  then  a 
servant  of  sinners?  God  forbid.  What  shall 
we  say  then  ?  shall  we  continue  in  sin  that 
grace  may  abound  ?  God  forbid  !  How  shall 
we  that  are  dead  to  sin,  live  any  longer  there- 
in? Know  ye  not,  that  so  many  of  us  as 
were  baptized  into  Jesus  Christ,  were  bap- 
tized into  his  death  ?  Therefore  we  are  bu- 
ried with  him  by  baptism  unto  death  ;  that  like 
as  Christ  was  raised  up  from  the  dead  by  the 
glory  of  the  Father,  even  so  we  also  should 
walk  in  newness  of  life. — Yes,  be  it  far,  far 
from  thee,  to  approach  the  Lord's  table  with 
such  sentiments  and  thoughts.     God  preserve 


SELF-EXAMINATION.  75 

you,  that  you  may  never  eat  and  drink  so  un- 
worthily. You  would  make  yourself  guilty  of 
the  broken  body  and  the  shed  blood  of  the  in- 
nocent Lord.  You  eat  and  drink  to  your  in- 
evitable punishment.  You  sin  wilfully  ;  and  if 
we  sin  wilfully  after  that  we  have  received  the 
knowledge  of  the  truth,  there  remaineth  no  more 
sacrifice  for  sins,  but  a  certain  fearful  looking 
for  of  judgment,  and  fiery  indignation  which 
shall  devour  the  adversaries.  So  says  the 
same  apostle  in  Heb.  10:  26,  27. 


PART    THIRD. 

SEL  F-E  XAMINATION. 

Therefore  let  a  man  examine  himself, 
and  thus  examined,  and  prepared  by  examina- 
tion, he  may  eat  of  that  bread,  and  drink  of 
that  cup.  Let  every  one  look  to  it,  that  he 
neither  eat  nor  drink  unworthily,  and  that  he 
do  not  make  himself  guilty  and  liable  to  pun- 
ishment, by  partaking  of  the  holy  supper. 
Let  every  one  inquire  accordingly,  how  far  and 
in  what  respect  the  sacrament  may  be  a  judg- 
ment or  a  blessing  to  him.  But  let  a  man  exam- 


76  THE  LOVE    OF   JEStJS. 

ine  himself,  says  the  apostle.  He,  the  apostle, 
does  not  make  it  his  business  to  examine  the 
hearts,  to  search  the  inmost  souls,  of  the  dif- 
ferent members  of  the  great  church  at  Co- 
rinth. He  does  not  take  it  upon  him  to 
decide  upon  the  heart's  frame,  upon  the  state 
of  the  soul  of  each  individual.  How  could 
he?  If  we  would  judge  ourselves,  he  says  in 
v.  31,  we  should  not  be  judged,  we  should 
have  no  cause  to  fear  the  judgment  of  God. 
We  ourselves  must  know,  that  if  our  hearts 
condemn  us  not,  then  have  we  confidence 
toward  God  ;  and  whatsoever  we  ask,  we  re- 
ceive of  him.  Every  one  should  inquire  into 
and  search  his  own  heart.  Only  by  this  self- 
examination  and  preparation,  which  each  one 
should  make  his  most  sacred  business,  can 
that  be  promoted  and  attained,  which  ought 
on  this  occasion  to  be  promoted  and  attained. 
The  preacher,  who  with  the  members  of  his 
church  that  would  draw  near  to  the  Lord's 
table,  previously  observes  a  preparation,  as  it 
is  called,  cannot  investigate  the  state  of  the 
heart  and  the  tenor  of  the  life  of  every  indi- 
vidual member.  He  cannot  exactly  and  cor- 
rectly investigate  the  prevailing  emotions  and 


SELF-EXAMINATION.  77 

prevailing  errors  of  each  one,  nor  the  darling 
propensities  and  habitual  sins  of  each  one,  nor 
the  grosser  or  the  more  refined  excesses,  the 
manifest  or  the  concealed  corruptions  and 
abominations  of  heart  of  each  one,  nor  the 
hidden  springs  and  secret  motives  of  the  ac- 
tions of  each  one,  nor  the  faith  or  the  unbe- 
lief, the  scepticism  or  the  superstition,  the  levi- 
ty or  the  indifference,  the  warmth  or  coldness 
of  heart,  the  love  or  the  hatred,  the  strength 
or  the  weakness,  the  perseverance  or  the  in- 
stability of  each  particular  one.  Consequent- 
ly he  cannot  decide  or  determine,  whether  or 
how  far  each  one  may  eat  or  drink  worthily 
or  unworthily  ;  or  what  he  must  do  or  avoid 
in  order  not  to  eat  and  drink  unworthily.  No  ; 
the  preacher  can  and  will  facilitate  only  this 
sincere  and  careful  self-examination,  and  pro- 
mote the  accurate  and  real  preparation  of 
your  heart.  The  teacher  of  a  Christian 
church  will  do  and  can  do  no  more  than  to  at- 
tune and  prepare  the  mind  to  self-examina- 
tion ;  to  call  the  attention  to  that  which  you 
are  mainly  to  contemplate  and  guard  against 
in  self-examination  and  preparation,  so  that 
you  may  not  be  blinded,  and  deluded,  and 
7a 


78  THE    LOVE    OF    JESUS. 

betrayed  to  your  great  injury  by  selfishness  and 
darkness ;     to    give    hints    and    instructions 
whereby  you   may  chiefly  prove  your   own- 
self,  if  you  are  anxious  not  to  partake  unwor- 
thily ;    to  direct  the  heart  and  soul  to  that 
which  they  should  be  fixed  upon  in  the  sacra- 
ment ;  to  guide  the  mind  and  inclination,  the 
course   and  conduct  whither  they  should  be 
guided  by  the  supper.     At  this  the  psalm  and 
sermon  aim  ;  this  is  the  sum  and  substance  of 
the  questions  which  were  propounded  to  you, 
and  by  you,  in  the  presence  of  God  and  your 
Saviour,  were  confirmed  by  a  '  Yes,'  and  seal- 
ed with  '  Amen.'     For  this  object,  the  read- 
ing of  a  good  and  edifying  book,  of  an  appro- 
priate portion  of  Scripture,  the  reading  of  an 
excellent   hymn,    may    be   very    serviceable. 
But  think  not,  that  by  mere  singing  or  prayer 
or  reading,  by  attendance  at  church,  by  listen- 
ing to  preaching,  by  answering  the  test-ques- 
tions, you  have  completely  examined  yourself. 
You  may  well  imagine  to  yourself,  that  if 
you  were  invited  to  the  table  of  some  mighty 
lord,  you   would  certainly  appear  and  behave 
in  a  suitable  and   decorous  manner,    because 
one  of  his  servants  had  told  you  what  was 


SELF-EXAMINATION.  79 

most  essential  thereto;  or  else,  because  he 
had  solemnly  asked  you,  whether  you  would 
observe  and  do  every  thing  which  a  worthy 
guest  is  to  observe  and  do, — and  you  had 
solemnly  answered  him  in  the  affirmative  : 
Examine  yourselves,  says  this  same  Paul, 
whether  ye  be  in  the  faith  ;  prove  your  own 
selves.  Know  ye  not  your  own  selves,  how 
that  Jesus  Christ  is  in  you,  except  ye  be  rep- 
robates ?  But  let  every  man  prove  his  own 
work,  and  then  shall  he  have  rejoicing  in  him- 
self alone,  and  not  in  another  :  for  every  man 
shall  bear  his  own  burden.  No ;  not  in 
another;  neither  through  the  trial  of  your  own 
heart  and  life,  nor  the  heart  and  life  of  others, 
seek  rejoicing  for  yourself.  Measure  and 
judge  your  purity  and  innocence,  your  faith  and 
divine  enjoyment,  not  according  to  what  some 
may  have,  or  others  may  want ;  build  not 
your  virtue  on  the  fragments  of  other  men's 
virtue.  You  know  who  it  was  that  said,  '  God, 
I  thank  thee  that  I  am  not  as  other  men  are  !' 
—  and  you  know  also  how  Jesus  regards  such 
a  disposition.  No  ;  prove  your  ownself  ac- 
cording to  the  will  of  Him  with  whom  you 
have  to  do  in  the  Sacrament.  Let  the  busi- 
"7b 


80  THE    LOVE    OF    JESUS. 

ness  of  trying  yourself  be  done,  between  him 
and  you  in  silence  and  solitude !  Let  his 
word,  and  your  conscience  enlightened,  guided 
and  refined  by  his  word,  decide  upon  your  case ! 
And  now  you  plainly  see  what  there  is  to 
examine,  wherein  and  whereupon  you  should 
examine  yourself,  whereto  your  eye  and  heart 
should  be  directed  in  this  examination,  and 
wherein  all  should  end.  It  was  from  love 
that  Jesus  died  on  the  cross  for  you  !  This  is 
indicated  to  you  by  the  bread  and  wine  in  the 
Sacrament ;  and  upon  this  let  all  your  prepara- 
tion proceed.  By  silent  meditation  or  by  read- 
ing the  history  of  his  sufferings  and  his  crucifix- 
ion, bring  him  as  near  as  possible  to  your  soul. 
Let  him  hover  round  you  in  all  his  innocence 
and  patience.  Let  your  heart  feel  as  deeply 
as  it  can  for  his  suffering  heart — suffering  from 
love,  and  for  the  anguish  of  his  soul  under  r.'l 
the  dreadful  abuses,  and  afflictions,  and  pains, 
and  tortures,  which  he  must  suffer  from  men  ; 
he,  who  came  from  heaven  to  earth  to  bless 
mankind  ;  he,  who  would  then  do  the  last — 
the  utmost  that  love  to  man  could  do,  who 
would  devote  himself  entirely  to  the  happiness 
of  men.     Place  yourself  in  spirit  at  the  last 


SELF-EXAMINATION.  81 

meal  of  love,  at  which  he  instituted  for  you  a 
memorial  of  his  love  ;  as  he  also,  in  that  pray- 
er of  love  which  the  disciple  of  his  heart  has 
left  on  record  for  us,  remembered  you  before 
his  Father.  Go  with  him  in  spirit  from  this  re- 
past to  Gethsemane.  Behold,  how  he  who  had 
spoken  so  calmly  of  his  near  approaching  suf- 
ferings, and  who  had  so  resolutely  pressed  on 
to  meet  them,  is  there  overwhelmed  by  the 
load  of  sorrow  that  lay  upon  him  ;  how  dis- 
tressed and  timid  he  is  ;  how  he  throws  him- 
self on  the  ground,  and  seeks  to  calm  his 
breaking  heart  by  supplications  to  his  Father  ; 
how  he  writhes  and  wrestles,  covered  with 
the  sweat  of  agony.  Hark !  how  he,  from 
whose  mouth  no  complaint  had  been  heard  in 
any  sorrow,  now  complains  aloud,  '  My  soul 
is  exceeding  sorrowful,  even  unto  death  !' 
Behold,  how  he  who  had  often  withdrawn 
from  the  society  of  his  confidential  friends,  in 
order  to  console  and  strengthen  himself  in  sol- 
itude by  intercourse  with  his  Father,  is  here 
impelled  by  disquietude  and  anguish  to  pour 
out  his  heart  to  others;  how  he  asks  and  en- 
treats, that  they  also  would  watch  and  pray. 
Hark !  how  he  prays  himself,  and  prays  re- 
7c 


82  THE    LOVE    OF    JESUS. 

peatedly,  that  his  Father  would  yet  cause  this 
bitter  cup  to  pass  from  him  ?  Behold,  how 
he  needs  strength  from  above,  in  order  to  be 
supported.  Accompany  him,  the  prisoner  in 
bonds,  to  his  trial.  Behold  the  treatment  he 
receives  ;  their  clamor,  and  his  silence ;  their 
rage  and  madness,  and  his  quiet  and  compo- 
sure ;  hear  how  he  is  reviled  and  reviles  not 
again ;  what  lies  and  slanders  they  utter 
against  him,  and  how  briefly  and  excellently, 
at  the  proper  place,  he  bears  witness  to  the 
truth,  and  then  no  lie  and  no  slander  extorts 
from  him  one  word  of  threatening  displeasure 
or  of  vengeful  wrath  !  See  how  is  he  mock- 
ed, despised,  buffeted,  spit  upon,  less 
esteemed  even  than  a  murderer,  scourg- 
ed, abandoned  to  the  rude  soldiery,  who 
crown  his  head  with  thorns,  and  smite  them 
in,  who  exhibit  him  to  the  people  as  a  spectacle 
in  pitiful  and  preposterous  royal  robes,  and 
have  the  most  malicious  sport  with  him.  And 
behold  how  he,  who  with  a  word  could  have 
dashed  to  earth  the  armed  troop,  endures  it 
all,  and  when  he  suffers,  threatens  not,  but 
commits  himself  to  him  that  judgeth  righteously, 
follow  Mm  to  the  place  of  his  death  !  see  how 


SELF-EXAMINATION.  83 

he  totters,  exhausted  by  vigils,  and  inward  and 
outward  pain  ;  how  hard  it  is  for  him  to  carry 
the  cross  ;  how  they  hang  him  between  two 
malefactors,  as  if  he  were  worse  than  either ; 
how  the  blood-thirstiness  of  his  enemies  is  not 
slaked,  when  they  had  nailed  him  by  the  hands 
and  feet  to  the  cross ;  how  they  reviled  and 
mocked  him  ;  and  how  he  even  then  promised 
Paradise  to  one  of  those  who  was  crucified  with 
him,  and  who  manifests  a  confidence  in  him 
even  in  his  deepest  abasement ;  how  consider- 
ate he  is  of  the  maintenance  of  his  mother  and 
his  friend ;  and  how  he  forgives  all  the  mock- 
eries, and  injuries,  and  reproaches  of  his  ene- 
mies, with  a  prayer  to  his  Father,  that  he 
would  forgive  them  in  their  blindness  !  Think 
what  must  have  been  the  state  of  mind  of  him, 
to  whom  his  God  had  been  and  might  be  so 
near,  when  he  cried  with  a  loud  voice  :  My 
God  !  why  hast  thou  forsaken  me  ?'  Put 
every  thing  together,  which  poured  aver  him 
and  his  heart,  from  that  last  evening  when  he 
was  troubled  in  spirit,  and  said  :  Verily,  verily, 
I  say  unto  you,  that  one  of  you  shall  betray 
me ;  he  that  eateth  bread  with  me,  hath  lifted 
up  his  heel  against  me :  till  that  moment  on 


84  THE    LOVE    OF    JESUS. 

the  following  noon-day,  when  he  said  :  It  is 
finished  !  and  full  of  peace  and  composure, 
with  a  loud  and  distinct  voice,  commended  his 
spirit  into  the  hands  of  his  Father.  And  have 
you  a  human  heart  in  your  breast?  something 
then,  will  be  stirred  up  therein,  for  him,  the 
greatest,  the  most  affectionate  of  sufferers. 
How  can  it  be  wholly  otherwise,  if  you  ever 
keep  it  in  mind  and  heart :  For  me,  even  for 
me,  did  he  thus  suffer  !  even  for  me  did  he 
thus  give  his  body,  and  shed  his  blood  ! 

And  that  you  may  know  in  all  its  greatness 
and  feel  in  all  its  worth,  what  grace  the  Fa- 
ther in  heaven  has  manifested  toward  you  in 
such  a  giving  up  of  his  Son  ;  what  love  Jesus 
has  shown  you  by  his  sufferings  and  by  such  a 
death,  remember  why  you  stand  in  need  of  the 
mercy  and  grace  of  your  God,  and  what  it  is 
that  makes  this  plan  of  God  for  the  pardon 
and  redemption  of  men  desirable  for  you. 
Look  upon  your  sins,  your  impurity,  your 
worthlessness,  and  criminality  before  your  God  I 
Yes  ;  do  it  before  him,  the  searcher  of  hearts, 
that  you  may  not  deceive  yourself,  and  con- 
ceal nothing  from  yourself:  and  if  you  would 
see  your  heart  and  your  life  in  their  true  form, 


SELF-EXAMINATION. 


85 


try  them  exactly  according  to  the  word  and 
will  of  God,  who  at  sundry  times  and  in  divers 
manners  spake  in  time  past  unto  the  fathers  by 
the  prophets,  and  hath  in  these  last  days  spo- 
ken unto  us  by  his  Son  and  his  apostles.  En- 
lighten your  heart  and  your  life  with  the  true 
light,  that  shall  lighten  every  man.  Hear  what 
he,  who  is  the  Word,  has  said  ;  and  test  your- 
self thereby.  Compare  your  mind  and  life 
with  the  mind  and  life  of  him  who  has  left  us 
an  example,  that  we  should  follow  his  steps. 
He  holds  before  you  a  mirror  in  his  sermon  on 
the  mount,  (Matth.  5:  6,  7,)  in  which  you  may 
see  yourself  in  your  true  form :  and  many  a 
word  which  his  apostle,  Paul,  said  to  Chris- 
tians at  Rome,  (Rom.  12:  13),  and  Galatia, 
(Gal.  5:  6),  and  Ephesus,  (Eph.  4:  5,  6),  and 
Colosse,  (Col.  3:  4),  if  laid  to  heart,  will  cer- 
tainly meet  your  case.  Mark  well  how  far 
you  yet  fail  in  goodness,  and  wherein  you  are 
imperfect.  Observe  what  conscience  accuses, 
and  what  the  heart  condemns.  And  if  you 
really  see,  and  strictly  notice  these  things,  then 
will  it  be  a  most  precious  saying  to  you,  that 
Christ  Jesus  came  into  the  world  to  save  sin- 
ners :  then  will  this  sacrament,  by  which  he 


86  THE   LOVE    OF    JESUS.  < 

would  make  it  plain  and  certain  that  he  came 
into  the  world  to  save  you,  be  to  you  a  dear 
and  precious  memorial  of  his  love. 

Thus,  then,  will  this  self-examination  natu- 
rally lead  to  this  result,  that  you  need  what 
bread  gives  to  the  hungry,  and  wine  to  the 
faint  and  thirsty, — strength,  and  quickening. 
Would  you  learn  by  this  examination,  whether 
faith  in  Jesus,  your  Saviour,  and  an  interest  in 
the  blessings  of  his  love  and  the  love  of  the 
Father  in  heaven,  have  hitherto  manifested 
themselves  actually  and  fruitfully  in  your  dis- 
positions ?  Is  it  indeed  evident  by  my  life  and 
conduct,  that  I  believe  from  the  heart,  and 
know  how  to  prize  the  truth,  that  lam  bought 
with  a  price  by  Jesus,  to  be  his  own  ?  Was  it 
my  real  purpose,  from  love  to  him,  and  with 
grateful  attachment  of  my  heart  to  him,  to  do 
the  good  which  he  expects  of  me,  and  which  I 
have  often  undertaken,  and  solemnly  promised 
him,  to  do  ?  Do  I  make  it  my  business,  for 
his  sake,  and  from  hearty  devotedness  to  him, 
to  renounce  the  evil  which  he  would  have  re- 
moved from  me,  and  which  I  have  often  sa- 
credly abjured  before  his  face  ?     Do  I  mani- 


SELF-EXAMINATION.  87 

fest  pleasure  and  diligence  in  fulfilling  the 
promises  of  my  baptismal  covenant,  which  I 
myself  ratified  at  my  confirmation,  and  renew- 
ed at  the  Lord's  supper,  with  the  same  fideli- 
ty in  which  I  desire  him  to  fulfil  his  promises, 
he  has  given  and  confirmed  to  me  ?  Is  there 
any  thing  in  me  that  urges  and  constrains  me 
to  live  for  him  ?  Or  do  I  still  live  agreeably 
to  myself  and  my  own  will,  to  my  flesh,  with 
its  affections  and  lusts  ?  Do  I  find  in  myself 
an  inclination  and  readiness  to  follow  Jesus  by 
denying  myself,  by  sacrificing  my  darling  pro- 
pensities, by  surrendering  that  which  is  dear  to 
me,  as  soon  as  he  requires  the  offering  at  my 
hand,  or  as  soon  as  I  know  that  he  is  displeas- 
ed with  that  which  is  well-pleasing  to  me  ? 
Could  I  also  determine,  for  his  sake  and  with  his 
temper  of  mind  to  suffer,  to  wait,  to  bear  ?  Or 
do  I  prefer  the  things  that  are  seen  to  the  things 
that  are  unseen  ;  the  present,  to  the  future,  the 
changeable,  to  the  unchangeable,  the  earthly, 
to  the  heavenly  ?  Will  Jesus  then  have  owned 
me,  as  his  disciple,  and  as  having  love  to  oth- 
ers ?  Does  my  Christian  faith  manifest  itself 
as  faith  which  worketh  by  love  ?  Do  1  seek 
to  do  unto  others  as  I  would  that  others  should 
do  unto  me  ?     Or  does  selfishness  still  make 


88  THE    LOVE    OF    JESUS. 

me  hard,  and  loveless,  and  inimical  to  my 
neighbours  ?  Do  I  always,  and  every  where 
keep  that  precept  in  view  :  Whatsoever  ye  do 
in  word  or  deed,  do  all  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  ?  Are  they  questions  of  this  na- 
ture, which  you  keep  before  you  in  your  self- 
examination  ?  How  is  it  ?  Do  you  think  that 
the  answer  thereto  will  so  turn  out,  as  to  prove, 
that  with  the  Christian  mind  and  Christian  life? 
it  is  easily'and  promptly  done  !  O,  would  you 
but  so  ask,  so  examine  yourself!  Surely, 
the  more  you  are  in  earnest  with  these  ques- 
tions, the  more  impartially  you  will  answer 
them,  the  more  justly  and  cautiously  you  in- 
vestigate, so  much  the  more  vividly  will  you 
know,  that  there  is  something  quite  as  needful 
for  you,  as  is  indicated  by  the  sacramental 
bread  and  wine  ;  and  so  much  the  more  in- 
tensely will  you  desire,  that  that  something 
might  become  your  own.  And  the  more  vivid- 
ly you  know,  the  more  deeply  you  feel,  how 
much  you  are  in  need  of  forgiveness  and  help, 
of  strength  and  quickening  ;  the  more  fervent- 
ly you  desire  to  be  enabled  to  obtain  it,  and  to 
be  sure  of  having  it,  so  much  the  more  dear 
and  precious  to  you  will  be  the  proofs  and 
pledges  in  the  supper,  of  the  love  of  your  Go  d 


SELF-EXAMINATION. 


and  Saviour;  so  much  the  more  heartily  and 
gratefully  will  you  appropriate  to  yourself  what 
is  thereby  offered  to  you  ;  so  much  the  great- 
er grace  and  love  will  you  see  therein ;  so 
much  the  more  will  it  be  meat  and  drink  to 
your  inmost  soul ;  and  so  much  the  more 
cordially  and  faithfully  will  you  ever  naturally 
live  in  love  and  gratitude  to  him,  who  has  giv- 
en himself  for  you.  Thus  celebrated,  the 
Lord's  supper  will  inevitably  be  a  blessing  to 
you;  and  every  sacrament  so  celebrated,  a 
new  and  ever  richer  blessing. 

Thus  look  upon  Christ,  and  his  love  and 
his  dying  love  !  Thus  look  on  your  heart  and 
life,  on  your  deficiencies  and  sins,  on  your  in- 
firmities and  necessities.  Thus  compare  how 
little  you  are,  and  how  much  you  ought  to 
have  been,  according  to  the  will  and  good 
pleasure  of  him  who  hath  so  greatly  loved  you. 
Think  how  much  is  wanting  in  order  to  have 
and  to  maintain,  peace  with  God,  quiet  of 
heart  and  conscience,  comfort  and  confidence 
all  your  life  long,  and  joyful,  blessed  hope,  tri- 
umphant over  death  and  the  grave.  Then 
will  the  celebration  of  the  supper  never  be- 
come to  you  a  cold  and  empty  ceremony,  an 


90  THE    LOVE    OT    JESUS. 

indifferent  custom,  or  a  forced  service.  Your 
heart  will  understand  what  the  heart  of  Jesus 
intended  to  give  you  in  this  custom,  and  why 
he  instituted  such  a  custom  in  remembrance 
of  him.  Not  only  in  his  death,  which  is  there 
shown  forth,  but  also  in  this  supper  itself,  by 
which  his  death  shall  be  shown  forth,  will  your 
heart  feel  and  praise  his  love.  Ah  !  to  one 
who  has  loved  him,  and  yet  has  never  seen  or 
heard  him ;  to  one  who  hungers  and  thirsts 
after  him,  or  after  one  word, — one  gift  from 
his  loving  heart,  how  unutterably  dear  must  be 
such  a  bequest  from  his  loving  heart,  such  a 
visible,  representing  memorial,  in  which  is  sight 
and  enjoyment !  You  come  to  his  table  then, 
filled  surely  with  humility  and  reverence. 
He  is  your  meditation.  His  love  is  the  emo- 
tion of  your  heart.  You  receive  what  is  given 
you  according  to  his  ordinance,  with  the  same 
faith  as  if  he  himself  offered  it  to  you.  Yes  : 
he  gives  himself  entirely  to  you,  with  all  that 
he  has  and  is.  He  is  yours  !  And  with  ex- 
alted love,  with  strengthened  gratitude,  do  you 
live  to  him,  and  through  him  to  the  Father ; 
and  for  his  sake,  to  men,  to  brothers  and  sis- 
ters of  yourself  and  him. 


91 


THE    SOUL'S    AFFLICTION, 

Let  me  not  forsaken  be, 

With  grief  to  strive  ! 
Grant,  in  gloom,  thy  light  to  me,—  . 

My  heart  revive. 

Low  I  lie  before  thy  face  ! 

Faith  comes  and  goes  : 
Give  me  power,  and  give  me  grace. 

Nor  shun  my  woes. 

Follow  thou  my  soul  in  need, 

And  hear  my  cries  : 
Ah,  my  pain  is  keen  indeed, 

And  courage  dies. 

Lord,  assist  me,  and  respond 

To  my  plaintive  call  ; 
Let  my  heart  no  more  despond, — 

Be  thou  my  All. 


92 


AFTER   CONFIRMATION. 

The  sweet,  the  solemn  hour  is  past:! 

But  echoes  yet  in  memory: 

And  ever  may  the  lesson  last, 

Then  taught  by  hallowed  rites  to  me. 

O  may  it  be  like  living  seed 

Deep-rooted  in  a  mellow  field  ; 

Which,  fast  as  time  its  growth  shall  speed, 

Yet  more  and  richer  fruit  shall  yield. 

J  now  am  Christ's  ! — and  not  alone 

By  parent's  wish,  and  baptism's  seal, 

But  by  the  solemn  vows  I  own, 

By  the  free  choice  and  faith  I  feel. 

Yes,  thine,  dear  Lord  !     Be  this  my  lot  ! 

To  thee  I  am  forever  given  ; 

The  grave  and  death  divide  us  not, 

My  heart  from  thee  shall  ne'er  be  riven. 

Thy  word  illumes  the  path  I  tread  ; 

It  guides  me  like  the  star  serene, 

Which  erst  the  Magian  sages  led 

To  where  the  Shepherd-lord  was  seen. 

My  joyous  soul  no  longer  dreads 

The  night  of  death,  forlorn  and  drear  ; 

A  paradise  before  me  spreads, 


AFTER    CONFIRMATION.  » 

And  all  above  is  bright  and  clear. 

A  God  of  love  reigns  far  and  wide, 

All  nature's  broad  dominions  through  ; 

In  his  vast  temple  I  abide, 

And  marks  of  love,  admiring,  view. 

Far,  far  beyond  my  mortal  ken, — 

For  that  dark  world— I  trust  thy  word, 

Which  tells  of  glory  there  and  then, 

And  bids  my  fears  no  more  be  heard. 

There  shall  I  to  the  flock  belong, 

Brought  by  thy  hand  to  bowers  of  rest, 

By  living  waters  led  along, 

In  pastures  green,  forever  blest. 

O  take  me,  when  at  last  the  bond 

Of  life  is  sundered  in  the  tomb, 

And  all  that  once  I  held  so  fond 

Forsake  me  quite,  or  sink  in  gloom. 

Ah,  nothing  but  the  faith  I  live, 

And  pledges  of  thy  word  to  men, 

In  that  dread  hour  can  comfort  give,— 

Redeemer  !  be  my  refuge  then. 

Thou  orb  of  love  !  upon  me  rise  ! 

And  mid  the  sun-light  of  thy  brow, 

Let  that  glad  word  my  soul  surprise,— 

^Thy  Lord's  rejoicing,  enter  thou  !' 

Without  this,  what  can  life  afford  ? 

Ah,  fleeting  moments— misspent  hours— 


94  AFTER    CONFIRMATION. 

Which  worse  than  lost  we  must  record, 
When  no  such  blessedness  was  ours. 
O  God,  my  Father,  make  me  prone 
To  keep  these  vows  inviolate  : 
My  life,  whole  life,  to  thee  alone, 
To  thee  alone,  1  consecrate. 
To  this,  but  now,  the  seal  was  set ; 
O  day  of  sweet  solemnity  ! 
And  never  may  my  soul  forget 
What  I,  to-day,  have  sworn  to  thee. 


